Julia Clukey and Christy Gardner were each teenagers the last time the United States women’s soccer team won the World Cup, yet it was a moment that made a significant impact in each of their lives.
“That was the first time I realized, ‘hey, women athletes are on TV too. They do great things.'” Clukey, now 30, said. “It’s a memory that’s ingrained in my head from my own youth, so certainly it pushed me to go after my own athletic dream.”
Brandi Chastain ripping off her jersey and celebrating the winning penalty kick in the U.S. team’s victory over China in 1999 has been a lasting image for many young women who came of age in the late 1990s. Since that time, Clukey and Gardner have each made their own marks in athletics on the world’s stage.
Recently, though, each has taken a brief hiatus from their sporting endeavors to become fans. Coincidentally, each attended the United States’ 2-1 semifinal win over Germany in Montreal on Tuesday and had the same word to describe what it was like to watch the game in person: “amazing.”
“I’m still processing it a little bit. I’ve been watching the women’s game for over 20 years now and that was the first time I was able to see them live,” Clukey said. “It was like a complete bucket list (item) for me. I know so many young kids in the country right now are being inspired by the U.S. women’s team the same way I felt inspired when I was a kid.”
“It was so big and so unbelievably loud whenever the crowd cheered,” Gardner, who flew directly from Montreal to Vancouver, British Columbia for the finals, said via email. “Every time the action got intense the crowd would stand and scream so much. I doubt the players on the field could hear the coaches or some of their teammates. During the (penalty kicks) everyone was standing and probably holding their breath; I know I was.”
While amazed by the moment, the atmosphere also brought back memories for both Gardner and Clukey of what it was like competing against the best in the world in their respective sports.
“When you hear 50,000 people chanting ‘U-S-A’ it’s hard not to get chills up your back,” Clukey, who will be flying out Sunday for the finals, said. “It brought back a lot of great memories of certainly competing in the Olympics and the tremendous support we had in Vancouver.”
Clukey’s story is a familiar one for many Mainers. Hooked on luge as a 12-year-old one summer day during a USA recruiting tour event in Portland, Clukey went on to qualify for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and finish 17th in the luge. In addition to competing in a number of World Cups, she was also named the USA Luge Female Athlete of the Year in 2012 and is currently training in an attempt to qualify for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The Augusta native overcame her fair share of adversity on her way to representing her country as well, including the loss of her father at 19, a major knee injury and Arnold Chiari Syndrome.
“It’s pretty powerful. It makes you feel really good about yourself, competing at that level. It brings a lot of pride,” Clukey said of representing her country. “I’m very proud to wear the red, white and blue wherever I go. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to work hard and reach that level in my sport.”
Gardner, much like what the U.S. women’s soccer team will be attempting to do at 7 p.m., Sunday in the World Cup final against Japan, knows what it is like to be considered the best in the world in her discipline.
A three-sport athlete at Edward Little High School, Gardner moved on to play both field hockey and women’s lacrosse at Long Island University (C.W. Post Campus) upon graduation in 2000. After college, she joined the Army as a military police officer but was forced to medically retire in December of 2007 after suffering a polytraumatic injury in the line of duty in 2006.
Initially labeled “100 percent disabled and severely handicapped,” Gardner has spent the past eight years proving her doubters wrong and then some. During the course of her recovery she picked up a new sport, sled hockey, and last November won a gold medal in Toronto representing the U.S. at the inaugural Women’s World Championships.
“We easily beat the Europeans in the earlier games and faced Canada in Canada for the Final. Obviously they outnumbered our fans in the stands but it was still the biggest crowd I’ve ever played in front of,” Gardiner, 33, said. “Winning that medal in such a place and with such a rivalry as USA-Canada hockey was unreal. All of our players and staff were ecstatic and I’ve never seen my coach so happy. It was just a great experience overall.”
Being both a female veteran and world-class athlete, the experience of watching the Women’s World Cup has been particularly moving, said Gardner.
“It’s impressive to see so many people acknowledge their efforts and cheer them on,” Gardner said. “As a female veteran, it’s especially powerful to hear our national anthem and to have the stadium suddenly become electric as 50,000 fans begin to sing along. It may be centered around the sport, but it’s so wonderful to see so much USA pride at the games and across our country at home.”
On July 10, 1999, Gardner proudly cheered for the U.S. in front of a television screen and — unbeknown to her — Clukey did the same.
As each watches the World Cup final live on Sunday some 16 years removed from that influential viewing, the next Julia Clukey or Christy Gardner could very well be watching the game at home.
“It made me feel so proud as a female athlete to see the success and just to know what it’s going to do for the next generation of young girls who want to participate in sports,” Clukey said. “It was just really inspiring and powerful.”
Evan Crawley — 621-5640
ecrawley@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @Evan_Crawley
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