Flame Bearers: Pathways to Paris

When Lori Henry talks about her six year run on the USWNT, she talks about the "little moments along the way," the moments she says that changed her life. She describes making the first team, being the last name called and not hearing it, but having her teammates jump on her in a pig pile. Even the way Lori introduced herself to us was full of humility, "Lori Henry, defender on the '85 original team and made it to the World Cup in '91. Oh, and the captain." Getting there was quite the run as well. Hilariously enough, after decades of facing off against each other growing up, when Lori and Michelle Akers both made the first USWNT in 1985, co-host Akers says she was so relieved to finally being on the same team after growing up having to face off against Lori: "I got so tired of you killing us every time. I never won a high school game against her." The feeling was mutual with Lori responding, "My reaction was 'Thank god' as she had been beating the shit out of me on all these other teams. I was so happy when we had games as the USA because I got to watch her beat the shit out of other people besides me." After soccer, Lori became a coach and then inspired by her own high school P.E. teacher, became a P.E. teacher herself. And so many of her colleagues wanted to talk to us, so we obviously included them all. They describe Lori as a "confidant", "work wife" and the "humblest person I've ever known." Contributing experts include Lori's school colleagues, Nancy, Bill and Mindy. Media used in this production: -38 years after making history, first USWNT to be honored at Asheville City regular season finale, Chris Womack, June 29th 2023, -The Forgotten Early History of Women’s Soccer, Laurent Dubois, January 22, 2016 -ESPN YouTube Channel, 'USWNT win the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage | 2023 ESPYS (📍 @CapitalOne)'