Meet Brian Rapinoe — US Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe's Brother She Paid Tribute To At World Cup
It was his birthday.
Getty We can all agree US Soccer star Megan Rapinoe is both a badass and a goddess, right? OK. Good, that's settled. The co-captain of the World Cup Champions U.S. Women's National Soccer Team has every reason to be proud of her performance in the tournament. In the final game against the Netherlands she scored the opening goal. She won the the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer and the Golden Ball as its top player. She jumped up into the stands to kiss her girlfriend Sue Bird. And she also squeezed in a 'Happy Birthday' message to her brother Brian. She did all of this while basking in the immediate afterglow of winning soccer's biggest prize. We want to know more about her brother, Brian. Who is Brian Rapinoe?
1. He's in rehab
Brian Rapinoe couldn't make the trip to France with his family to watch his sister play because he is in a rehab program in San Diego which allows an inmate to finish the final 12 months of their sentence taking classes outside of prison. Brian is a recovering addict. He's been clean for 18 months.
2. He's been in prison
Brian, 38, has spent 16 years in prison for various offenses. In an interview with ESPN, he said that he started using drugs at 12 and eventually became addicted to heroin. He was just 15 when he was arrested for bringing meth to high school. Megan and her twin Rachel were 10. His latest incarceration was in 2017 and it caused him to have a breakthrough. He looked at all his sister Megan has done and then looked at his life. He said: "Look at all she's done with her life — look at what you've done with yours. I want to make a difference. I want to be like Megan."
3. They stay in touch with texts
Before the first World Cup game, Brian texted Megan: "Megs, breaks my heart that you couldn't fly me out for an all-expenses paid trip to France." She responded: "Oh yeah, so sad I couldn't pamper you for a month in France." In a profile of the Rapinoe family, Brian said: "She's the only one who can write me letters that make me cry. She tells me what's going on, gives me credit for way more than I deserve, tells me she loves me no matter what. I showed one letter to my homeboy and he was like, 'Damn.'"
4. His sister is his inspiration
Women's soccer is big in prison and everywhere Brian has been over the years he's been able to watch his little sister play. He wore a Rapinoe jersey on his birthday and watched his sister kick ass up and down the soccer field. On Instagram, he wrote: "Couldn't have been more proud of the USWNT and my lil sister Megan Rapinoe yesterday. She is a legend in her sport as well as off the field... so much love to all our supporters means a lot." He told ESPN: "I have so much respect for her. And not just because she's the s--- at soccer. It's her utter conviction in the things that she believes in and the stances she takes against injustices in the world. I was her hero, but now — there's no question — she is mine."
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.