Ali Krieger

It's a part of my lifestyle to be healthy and eat healthy. I don't feel like I need to be like, 'You can't have this. You can't have that. You have to have this. You have to have that,' because then I feel like I will get inconsistent. I indulge when I want to, but try to be healthy every single day, too.

I always need a little something sweet after dinner. Although I try to stay pretty disciplined with my nutrition when I'm in season - my brother Kyle eats super clean and always gives me nutrition advice - when I want something, I have it because I feel like you can really get in trouble if you restrict yourself too much.

Lifting isn't my favorite thing, so I have to keep it fun and do exercises that I really enjoy.

People ask me, 'What were you thinking during that game-winning penalty kick in the 2011 World Cup?' I was actually thinking absolutely nothing. I just walked up there and was so inspired by my teammates who rocked all their PKs; they just killed it. I figured I might as well do the same, or they might have my neck.

I surround myself with good people who make me feel great and give me positive energy.

Germany is where I had to become a true professional. They play in big games when they are young. We could model some of our soccer system after what they do.

I know, firsthand, that soccer brings people together - all it takes is a ball and a few people, and the seeds of friendship are planted.

Football helped me build confidence on and off the field and taught me to grow through moments of success and disappointment.

It's a privilege and an honor to play for the national team, but I think that the training that I was in at Frankfurt was the highest level right underneath.

I'm grateful that I got a good education and to have all the people I have around me.

I have fallen a few times, and each time, I have gotten up and grown as a person and looked at things a little differently.

I was clipped from behind, and my leg got caught between my opponent's legs. As we fell, my leg snapped. It was a spiral fracture. They had to put in a plate and five screws. It was a devastating moment: one minute I was on cloud nine, and then I was out for the season.