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FC Gold Pride Forward Marta Appointed as United Nations Goodwill Ambassador

October 11, 2010 - Women's Professional Soccer (WPS)
FC Gold Pride News Release


HAYWARD, CA (October 11, 2010) - FC Gold Pride forward, Martahas been appointed a Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations. The announcement was made Monday by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Stockholm, Sweden.

Marta joins the UN to advocate for women's empowerment as a means to fight poverty, a struggle she is intimately tied to through personal experience.

"I'm thrilled, very motivated,'' said the 2010 WPS MVP. "I unfortunately, had a very difficult childhood and that's something that I had to grow up with, always struggling, fighting, and I think it's perfect to give back.''

In her new role, Marta will focus on the Millennium Development Goals, a set of eight targets aimed at cutting world poverty in half by 2015.

With her appointment, Marta becomes the first female footballer to be named, as she joins fellow international soccer stars Didier Drogba, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo as UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors.

Recognized around the world for both her cunning skills and commitment to excellence on the field, Marta has been named the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year for four consecutive years (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009). She recently completed her second season in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) where she helped lead FC Gold Pride (Bay Area) to the 2010 WPS Championship. En Route to capturing the league title, Marta scored 19 goals during the regular season, a WPS single-season record, earning the PUMA Golden Boot award and WPS Michelle Akers Player of the Year as the WPS' MVP.

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