Photo: Tylenol
Emma Sears is only three seasons into her professional soccer career, but she's already learned one of the sport's universal truths: You've got to enjoy your career while it lasts.
"I feel like although your career may seem long, it really is fleeting," she told iHeartRadio. "So something that I've really tried to prioritize is taking moments to reflect — not waiting until the end of the season to look back on it, but really just being present in the moment."
The 25-year-old forward has plenty to reflect on already. Since being selected by Racing Louisville FC in the 2024 NWSL Draft, she's recorded 17 goals and six assists while emerging as one of the U.S. Women's National Team's rising stars.
Sears’ grounded mindset stems in part from the unpredictable nature of professional sports. Injuries, competition for roster spots and the realities of elite athletics can all alter an athlete's path, often in ways beyond their control.
What athletes can control, however, is how they care for themselves. For Sears, that means paying attention when something doesn't feel right instead of pushing through it.
It's also what drew her to partner with Tylenol and soccer legend Mia Hamm for the brand's PainTalk movement, which aims to normalize conversations about pain and encourage people to take action when they experience it.
"Acknowledging pain is the ultimate sign of strength, and I think that it's important to continue that conversation," Sears said. "So hopefully with this campaign we continue to build upon that."
As she continues navigating the professional game, Sears said one of the biggest lessons she's learned is that "the little details really matter."
"Sometimes things that maybe could slide under the rug in college... they'll just continue to build at the professional level," she shared. "So really prioritizing taking care of yourself and not putting things on the back burner has been something I've learned."
Sears said that perspective was reinforced through conversations with Hamm, whose career helped pave the way for today's generation of players.
Through the PainTalk campaign, she's also had the opportunity to hear firsthand how much the women's game has evolved, particularly when it comes to player health and the resources now available to athletes.
“I think that it's been really cool to get to speak with [Hamm] on a more intimate level about her experience and the shift that she's seen because it has changed so much,” she said. “We have the opportunity to talk about how positive the change has been and the resources that we now have. And I think that PainTalk is also a resource for people to really lean into what matters most to them and how to take care of themselves better and be proactive about that.”
Learn more about the PainTalk movement HERE.