Hope Solo is getting candid after she was arrested for driving under the influence.
Months after the 41-year-old was arrested on March 31 for driving while intoxicated after being found passed out in her car in North Carolina with her two-year-old twins in the back, the former US Women’s Soccer goalie spoke out on her “Hope Speaks Solo” podcast and addressed the situation, calling it the “biggest mistake” of her life.
“The reality of what this meant was horrific. The embarrassment. The shame. The financial loss. The thought of explaining this to my children when they’re old enough to search the internet,” she said. “Mostly, I had to get to the bottom of why I found myself in that situation in that moment with a police officer knocking on my car window.”
Hope Solo: See The Soccer Star On The Field
View GalleryShe also said, “I let the alcohol get the better of me in a decision that I will never live down.”
In July, the athlete, who pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated, was reportedly sentenced to 30 days in prison but did not have to spend any time in jail. She was given credit for time spent in an in-patient rehab facility in April, and was reportedly fined $2,500 and $600 for lab test costs.
While on her podcast, she spoke about her time in in-patient treatment calling it “both awful and great,” as well as sharing how hard it was to leave her kids while getting help.
“Watching my kids wave, knowing they had no idea how long I would be gone, not understanding that I won’t be returning that evening or the next day, broke my heart. I smiled and waved out the window, then bawled when I could no longer see them around the bend,” she shared.
Solo concluded by sharing a message of gratitude.
“Today I am grateful for my 30 days away to read, think, pray, meditate and learn. Reading and meditation feeds my soul, so does seeing family and friends. I’ve realized now that my soul was slowly starved. And it was all my fault for trying to be strong for my family, for being prideful. In my strength, I was weak,” she said.
“There is no shame if we struggle with alcohol or addiction. Thank you to the beautiful men and women who taught me this,” she shared. “Suffering can purify even the righteous man, and lord knows my family has suffered from my mistake. Growth is gradual and painful, but worth it.”
— Stephanie Swaim