Hope Solopleaded guilty to driving while impaired at a hearing forher March arrest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Solo, 40, entered the guilty plea on Monday, according to theWinston-Salem Journal, which cited the Forsyth County District Attorney’s office. The former U.S. Soccer goalkeeper also posted a statement toInstagramTuesday in which she referred to the incident as “easily the worst mistake of my life.”
“I underestimated what a destructive part of my life alcohol had become,” Solo wrote in the statement after announcing that she is “slowly coming back from taking time off.”
“The upside of making a mistake this big is that hard lessons are learned quickly,” she continued. “Learning these lessons has been difficult, and at times, very painful.”
Solo was also charged with misdemeanor child abuse and resisting a public officer, though her attorney said those charges were voluntarily dismissed, according to theJournal.
The Forsyth District judge, Victoria Roemer, ordered Solo to pay a $2,500 fine and $600 for the cost of lab tests, instructed the athlete to “get a substance abuse assessment and complete all recommended treatment,” according to theJournal.
If Solo, whose real name is Hope Amelia Stevens, completes those requirements, Roemer said the former goalie would not have to serve a 24-month sentence. The judge also waved an additional 30-day sentence now that Solo has completed30 days at an in-patient rehab facility, which she began on April 29.
Bruno Zanardo/Getty
“I look forward to opening up and sharing more with everyone in the coming weeks,” Solo added, before also thanking those who she met while at the rehab facility.
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Hope Solo.Sam Wasson/Getty
“Their no nonsense way of leading is a leadership style I have always admired and respected,” Solo’s statement continued.
“I continue to be a student of the greatest school called life and I will continue to learn and grow from these experiences. I will continue to gain empathy, knowledge, and stories to share.”
In 2014, during Solo’s time playing for the women’s national soccer team, she was arrested following an alleged domestic violence incident in which she allegedly hit her sister and nephew. She pleaded not guilty and was asked to sit out for a game after her release. In 2018, the charges against her were dropped.
In the midst of the 2014 controversy, Solo issued a public apology on her Facebook page, calling the situation “highly unfortunate.”
source: people.com
