An extraordinary example of perseverance, leadership and helping others, Semahj Ware was voted the winner of the 2020 SheBelieves Hero contest ahead of the SheBelieves Cup and joined the U.S. Women’s National Team for an exclusive behind the scenes experience prior to the USA’s game vs. Spain on March 8, 2020.

 

The SheBelieves Hero™ Selection Committee, comprised of former U.S. Women’s National Team players Nicole Barnhart, Cindy Parlow-Cone, Heather O’Reilly, and Lindsay Tarpley Snow, selected the five contest finalists from the largest field of impressive submissions in the history of the SheBelieves Hero™ contest. The other SheBelieves Hero finalists were Nicole Cash, Chastain Cassidy, Remy Sexton, and Lily Sowle. U.S. Soccer applauds all the finalists for the incredible work they’re doing to make a positive difference in their communities. 

The finalists’ stories were shared via social media for the general public to vote on who best embodied the SheBelieves spirit, which is defined as a leader in their community, a confident and passionate individual who empowers others around them and works to make a positive difference in the world. Public votes counted for 50 percent of the weighted total with the panelists’ scores accounting for the other 50 percent of the weighted total.

Conceived and developed by U.S. Soccer and inspired by the Women’s National Team players, SheBelieves is a movement to encourage girls and women of all ages to accomplish their goals and dreams, athletic or otherwise. The campaign was originally launched in the run-up to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup but has since evolved into a special bond between the team and its fans, taking its powerful message of empowerment and that of believing in yourself into communities across the nation.