In the history of soccer, Olympic gold medalist Mia Hamm ranks as one of the sport’s brightest stars. Did you know that at 15 Hamm became the first player to play for a national team? At the University of North Carolina, she earned the nickname “Jordan”—in reference to an equally famous basketball star. Most Americans, however, remember Hamm leading Team USA to a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Today, Hamm faces an even greater challenge—inspiring youth to get active and make better decisions to tackle obesity.

“We’re trying to empower kids and give them a new message on how to achieve fitness,” says Hamm.

While focusing on youth, Mia highlights the role parents play in a child’s success.

“So much of what I’ve learned, I attribute to my parents,” Hamm told Children’s Digest. “We ate very healthy meals growing up and were always active—at the pool or playing games with my friends.”

The lifelong sportswoman stresses team sports to build confidence and self-esteem.

“Many life lessons for me were developed through sports,” she says. “Communication, team work, personal responsibility, setting long- and short-term goals, time management, emotional issues, disappointment, anger, excitement are lessons that we can learn from becoming involved in sports.”

Today’s youth also face tremendous pressure in achieving an idealized body image—one that can cause problems with self-esteem and lead to eating disorders.

“If you’re content with what’s on the inside, you’ll be motivated to take care of yourself on the outside,” stresses Hamm. “It’s not about being a size 2, it’s about health. Find that middle ground.”

But learning about foods and their impact on health is part of the healthy living.

“Fresh, healthy food is only part of the equation,” Hamm said. “Living fresh requires getting active and changing the way we think about food, exercise and our overall health and wellness.”

Now, Mia and Baja Fresh challenge you to become involved in your health and support the game of soccer as a dynamic way to include exercise and build character.