Megan Rapinoe, 16 Others To Receive Presidential Medal Of Freedom

SEATTLE — Seattle's Megan Rapinoe will join more than a dozen other Americans next week in receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony at the White House. The Biden Administration unveiled the list of this year's recipients for the nation's highest civilian honor Friday, including Rapinoe, Simone Biles and Denzel Washington, along with posthumous honors for Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and former Sen. John McCain.

Rapinoe has played for the NWSL's OL Reign since 2013, currently serving as the team's captain, and became an international sports icon after earning two Olympic medals and helping the U.S. Women's National Team win two World Cups. In announcing her selection, the White House noted Rapinoe's playing career along with her advocacy for gender pay equality, racial justice and LGBTQ rights.

In a statement released through U.S. Soccer Friday, Rapinoe described getting a surprise phone call from the White House while eating lunch with her teammates last week.

“In that moment I spoke to the President, I was, and still am, totally overwhelmed. I just think of all the people who I feel deserve a part of this medal, from my family to current and former teammates, all the women of the U.S. Women’s National Team throughout our history, to Colin Kaepernick, the three woman who founded Black Lives Matter – Opal, Alicia and Patrisse – to Marsha P, Sylvia and Billie Jean, the Williams sisters, of course my fiancé Sue Bird, and so many more. I am humbled and truly honored to be chosen for this award by President Biden and feel as inspired and motivated as ever to continue this long history of fighting for the freedoms of all people. To quote Emma Lazarus, ‘Until we are all free, we are none of us free.’”

Here is the full list of this year's Presidential Medal of Honor Recipients from the White House:

• Simone Biles
• Sister Simone Campbell
• Julieta García
• Gabrielle Giffords
• Fred Gray
• Steve Jobs (posthumous)
• Father Alexander Karloutsos
• Khizr Khan
• Sandra Lindsay
• John McCain (posthumous)
• Diane Nash
• Megan Rapinoe
• Alan Simpson
• Richard Trumka (posthumous)
• Wilma Vaught
• Denzel Washington
• Raúl Yzaguirre