“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened”—and just like that, Kelly O’Hara announced her retirement from the beautiful game. Sadly, it came earlier than she had anticipated due to a heartbreaking knee injury. While all of her ardent fans miss her on the pitch, the defender seems to have already turned the page. In fact, O’Hara appears to be enjoying her retirement life to the fullest, having shared a completely different ‘new me’ look.

One can call it a never-before-seen side of the former full-back, which she vocally shared among her 813K Instagram followers. The Gotham FC icon posted a small clip of herself along with a caption saying, “This is the new me. Hope you like her!” It seemed like she had just returned from a long swim in the pool and decided to record herself. But how exactly now O’Hara is portraying herself to the rest of the world? Well, in the clip, she can be seen giving a rather hilarious fit update like any other social media influencer usually does.

“Okay, post-swim fit check,” begins Kelley in the video while keeping her phone on the ground. “Hair, chlorine water. Google marks [on eyes], Speedo. Swimsuit, Budgy Smuggler,” she added, before turning around completely to showcase her USA flag-themed towel that she had wrapped around her waist. Revealing the brand of all the things that she was donning, she continued to showcase her Under Armour laundry bag as well as white-colored sandals from Birkenstock. Before abruptly shutting off the clip, O’Hara can be heard exclaiming, “Yay!” in a high-pitched voice.

Any typical fit-check video includes an influencer or model describing details of their respective outfits, which often include dresses, makeup, or other apparel. However, O’Hara thought of going the extra mile, describing even the slightest of details, including how her hair looked after being exposed to the pool’s chlorine water or the marks she got around her eyes while wearing a swimming google. This is exactly what makes Kelley a standout in the fit-check competition.

Not to mention, the 36-year-old has never posted this kind of content on her Instagram account before. Regardless, we reckon fans must have loved to see O’Hara in high spirits, even though the heartbreaking injury didn’t do her justice.

Kelly O’Hara opens up on her ‘painful’ injury ahead of retirement ceremony

Kelly O’Hara, who had planned to play until the end of the season, announced her retirement on the same day Alex Morgan decided to step away from the game. After skipping four days of practice, O’Hara trained on a Friday, eager to return. However, she had time to reflect and reconsider her future in the sport upon returning home.

”I got home and my knee was just so swollen and so painful and I was like what am I doing like why keep putting myself through this,” she shared during her earlier appearance on the Fast Friends show on Just Women’s Sports.

Despite her reluctance to quit, O’Hara expressed to her mom that she wanted to rip off her bandage and compete again. Ultimately, she realized it was time to step back. “If I could take myself out of my body and have a conversation with myself. I’ll be like, ‘You were doing yourself no favors for your future…You’re giving your team a couple of minutes at the end of the game,’” the Gotham FC defender added.

Kelley will now mark her final adieu in front of thousands during halftime of the USWNT vs. Iceland friendly clash that is set for October 27, 2024, at Nashville, Tennesse-based GEODIS Park.