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When adversity strikes, it can bring out the best in us. This was certainly true for Sarah Fuller, the lesbian goalkeeper on Vanderbilt College's soccer team, who just made history.
The Vanderbilt Commodores faced a difficult situation when several major players tested positive for COVID-19, including their kicker. With no alternative options available, the Power 5 games scheduled over the past few weeks had to continue without them - that is until an extraordinary solution was found. Sarah Fuller, the lesbian goalkeeper of their college’s soccer team, stepped into the gap and became the first female to ever participate in a Power 5 game as a kicker. She is not only trailblazing gender equality within sports but also setting an example for all of us to strive for our dreams even in the face of adversity.
It was at the kick-off of the second half that Fuller came on the scene with a great kicker that sent the ball into the 35 yards as expected in the game between Vanderbilt and Mississippi.
“I just want to tell all the girls out there that you can do anything you set your mind to; you really can. And if you have that mentality all the way through, you can do big things,” Fuller said in an interview with ESPN’s SEC Network.
“Honestly, it’s just so exciting. And the fact that I can represent the little girls out there who wanted to do this or thought about playing football or any sport, really. And it encourages them to be able to step out and do something big like this.”
Sarah Fuller before the match getting ready to make history (Gettyimages)
“If she wants to kick, and she’s available, we’d love to have her,” said coach Derek Mason.
As soon as said, also done. Coach Mason recalled Fuller for the next game, as the team’s official kicker still could not play against Georgia.
Other women have taken part in men’s football games in the past, such as Ashley Martin, who in 2001 became the first woman to score points in Division 1, but this is the first time a woman has ever taken part in the prestigious Power 5 games, and of course, Sarah Fuller is also the first lesbian to do so.
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