Abby Wambach reveals she abused alcohol, prescription drugs for years

Sep 13, 2016, 04:42

Abby Wambach's progression through sports and life hasn't come without great struggle.

The soccer phenom says she has been sober since that night, but admits to a tumultuous history that includes the use and abuse of alcohol, and pills such as Adderall, Ambien and Vicodin.

After her arrest, Wambach allegedly told police she "first used marijuana by the age of 24", according to the Multnomah County Motion for Release document. "I didn't want to face the truth".

In an interview with the Associated Press, Wambach - who is the top career scorer of worldwide soccer for women and men, with 184 goals to her name - says, "I think I was asleep for a lot of years". She was also having marital difficulties with her wife, retired Portland Thorns midfielder Sarah Huffman.

The leading goalscorer in men or women's football retired in December after 15 years with the USA women's team. Those closest to her tried to reach out, including Huffman, fellow national team player Sydney Leroux and friend Kara Mirarchi.

Wambach, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, also helped the United States finish second at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and was a member of the World Cup-winning squad in 2015. Asleep to the pleas from my family and friends, and even myself, to get help. "This is something I've been dealing with for years now". In an interview with the Associated Press, she said her arrest on a DUI charge in April served as a wake-up call. This isn't something that just snuck up on me when I retired from soccer. It was well-known that Wambach was fond of wine, by her own very public admission, but then that seemed little more than an interest from a vivacious and well-rounded individual.

Her abuse of alcohol and use of prescription drugs certainly may reverberate because of her promoting a healthy lifestyle, which has included endorsement deals with MVP Healthcare and promoting NY state apples.

"It's really hard to talk about things when you're ashamed", she told the AP. She has spoken regularly since then of wanting to make a difference in other areas as well, and has campaigned for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. "I'm proud of where I'm at".