Mallory Pugh once revealed how she let God be in charge of her life's direction

Mallory Pugh is a player for the United States women's soccer team and wife of former Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson. She recently spoke about how her faith in God helped her get through one of the most difficult years of her life.

Pugh, who was the youngest player to play and score in the 2016 Olympics, created history. She also helped the USWNT win the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2019.

Pugh revealed letting god direct her life, during the Sports Spectrum podcast with Jon Ackerman:

"When I was deciding on whether or not I’m going to stay at UCLA or go professional, I feel like that was really a time where that was kind of what kicked it off. I really gave it all to God.”

"I’ve always had a background, but I wouldn’t necessarily say I had a true relationship that I have now with God."

Pugh was made aware of her desire for a meaningful connection with God by her friend Annika's life and testimony. Pugh, who was baptized in 2020, said that God put her newly discovered faith to the test.

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A look into the careers of Mallory Pugh and Dansby Swanson

Mallory Pugh made her first international appearance for the USWNT on Jan. 23, 2016, in a friendly matchup against Ireland, after spending a lot of time with the U-17 and U-20 teams. After Heather O'Reilly in 2002, she became the first 17-year-old to debut for the national team.

Pugh became the 19th USWNT player to score on her debut, doing so in the 83rd minute of her maiden outing at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup competition. She was the second-youngest player on the 2019 squad, after Tierna Davidson, who was 20.

Swanson, in contrast, debuted in the Major League Baseball in Aug. 2016. He committed a seven-year deal with the Chicago Cubs on Dec. 21, 2022, reportedly for $177 million.

Swanson was selected as a reserve for the MLB All-Star Game in 2022. He hit his 100th career home run off on Sept. 30, 2022, and was selected as a reserve on the NL team to his second All-Star team on Jul. 2, 2023.

Both Mallory Pugh and Dansby Swanson have achieved great success in their specialized fields.