‘I let alcohol get the better of me’

Hope Solo is taking responsibility following her recent DWI arrest, calling the moment “the biggest mistake of my life.”

“I let alcohol get the better of me in a decision that I will never live down,” she said during the Aug. 18 episode of her “Hope Solo Speaks” podcast, going on to call the mistake, “a decision that has come as a great cost to me and my family.”

The soccer star was arrested March 31 after being discovered passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle sitting in a North Carolina Walmart parking lot, with her 2-year-old twins, Lozen and Vittorio, in the backseat.

The engine was still running when she was discovered.

Following the incident, Solo entered rehab for alcoholism and postponed her National Soccer Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

“I have contacted the Hall of Fame and respectfully requested a postponement of my Hall of Fame induction ceremony to 2023,” the former athlete wrote. “I will be voluntarily entering an in-patient alcohol treatment program to address my challenges with alcohol.

“At this time, my energies and focus are totally directed to my health, healing and taking care of my family. I want to thank the Hall of Fame for their support and for understanding my decision.”

By late July, Solo had plead guilty to DWI and was handed down an active sentence of 30 days and a suspended sentence of 24 months, as well as $2,500 in fines plus a $600 fee to cover the cost of lab tests.

Her rehab stint covered the 30 days, and she was also ordered to undergo a substance abuse assessment and complete all recommended treatment before being let off the hook.

“Entering myself into treatment, awaiting the legal system, dealing with international and national headlines, canceling my attendance at the Hall of Fame induction, it seemed embarrassment compounded on top of embarrassment,” she recalled on her podcast. “There were many days and nights of crying uncontrollably to having my very first panic attack. The thought of leaving my family behind to fend for themselves was almost unbearable.”

Ultimately, however, she is grateful for the time she spent in recovery.

“Today, I am grateful for my 30 days away to read, think, pray, mediate and learn. There is no shame if we struggle with alcohol or addiction. Thank you to the beautiful men and women who taught me this.”