UA_Trent Alexander-Arnold

UA_Trent Alexander-Arnold

10.29.2021

PINK IS THE COLOR WE CAN ALL ROOT FOR

For Trent Alexander-Arnold, Breast Cancer Awareness is Personal

Under Armour athlete Trent Alexander-Arnold is wearing pink boots during Breast Cancer Awareness month featuring the names of his two aunts — both cancer survivors. In his own words, the right-back from Liverpool explains why he thinks football has the power to change the world.

 

Can you tell us about the two names that are stitched into your Under Armour boots?

 

Cathy and Carmen. They’re my aunties, and they’re both breast cancer survivors.

 

I’ve never been one to wear my name on my boots. It’s not who I am and it’s not anything I’m interested in, really, because I just want to play football and win games. I'm not focused on getting those kinds of headlines or sounding that alarm—it’s just not in my character.

 

I always want to be true to myself and what I believe in, so I’ve been wearing their names on pink Under Armour boots during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to honor their battles, and to bring as much attention as possible to a deadly disease that has taken away loved ones from so many people around the world. I know there are a lot of young people who look up to me, and a lot of young kids who want to be like me, so I want everyone to know just how personal this is: Family is everything

 

UA_Trent Alexander-Arnold

UA_Trent Alexander-Arnold

What effect did witnessing their battle with cancer have on you?

 

To my aunties, I'm still just their little nephew who loves football. To me, they’re the bravest people I’ve ever met.

 

There’s nothing that I could do on or off the pitch that will ever come close to matching what they have endured and how hard they fought through it. There were dark days, and there were times when they felt incredibly weak, but every time I saw them going through their treatments, they always had a smile and a laugh. It’s a kind of strength that I had never seen before.

 

We all know the word cancer, but most of us don’t truly understand what it means until it hits home. You can go through life assuming it won't affect you, but it's rare for someone to not know anyone who has been impacted by it. It can strike at any moment, and when it does, it snatches reality away from you and changes everyday life.

 

You go from being fit and healthy and carefree to having an enemy that just follows you around like a shadow. You’re constantly thinking and talking about it. The worry eats away at you.

 

But it doesn’t define you. You can’t let it define you.

 

"My aunties showed me that our legacy isn’t how people remember us when we’re gone, it’s how we inspire others when we’re alive. "

Trent Alexander-Arnold

What have you learned from the experience? Have you taken any lessons with you onto the pitch?

 

You learn not to take things for granted. You appreciate people more. You live in the moment. You make sure to tell your loved ones how much you love them. Family is everything, but cancer brought our family even closer together. And we know how lucky we are to still have my aunties with us.

 

So many people have died from this terrible disease, but their battles weren’t any less inspiring or courageous. I’ve thought more about cancer than I ever thought I would—I just recently turned 23—and I’ve realized that there is one great lesson that football teaches us to prepare for life’s most jarring events: It’s hard, if not impossible, to control the result.

 

On the pitch, you can control your energy, your effort, your desire, your mentality. But no matter how badly you want to, the outcome is often out of your control. No one knows if or when they might get cancer, and there’s so much about the disease that’s out of our control. But we can control our mentality—how we think about fighting—and we can radiate love and kindness. My aunties showed me that our legacy isn’t how people remember us when we’re gone, it’s how we inspire others when we’re alive. They are the sweetest, strongest, most caring people I know.

 

UA_Trent Alexander-Arnold

UA_Trent Alexander-Arnold

What does it feel like to have them with you when you run out onto the field?

 

I draw inspiration from them every time I lace up the pink boots. They make me feel more powerful, more inspired, more deeply connected to a shared purpose that I know all fans can relate to no matter how fervently they might fly an opponent’s colors. Pink is the color we can all root for, and I wear pink boots because my feet are the tools of my trade­­—the most powerful thing I have to express what I believe in.

 

When my boots feature something special, it comes from the heart. I wore Black Lives Matter boots in 2020 to inspire education. Those boots aren’t going to suddenly convince a 40-year-old who grew up in a racist environment that everything he believes is wrong, but they could land on the heart of a young boy or girl who is learning that everyone should be treated with equality. And that could change the world in ways big and small.

 

When your fans see your Under Armour pink boots, what do you hope to relay or inspire?

 

I hope to create the same kind of awareness with the pink boots. So many people are working tirelessly to find cures for cancer, but maybe the pink boots will inspire young people to ask questions and dedicate themselves to science. Maybe they’ll go on to save more lives and change the world.

 

I really do believe that football has the power to change the world.

 

It reaches every corner of the globe, and there are people halfway across the world who set alarms to wake up at all hours and watch games. Millions and millions of people are always watching, and I think about the magnitude of that leading up to every match. Fans are so invested in us, and rightly so. But as athletes, that means people most often see us for what we do—our wins and losses—and not who we are. Fans don’t always see the real person. People just assume that life is amazing, but times do get hard, and everyone goes through battles.

 

And that’s my way of saying, yes, the pink boots are meant to honor my aunties, Cathy and Carmen, but they’re also meant to honor you.

 

I understand the battles in your life. My family has been there too.

 

When you see the pink boots, I hope you feel more powerful, more inspired, and more deeply connected to our shared purpose no matter what team you root for. With the power of pink, we can all radiate the love and kindness—and hope—that the world needs.

 

"Pink is the color we can all root for, and I wear pink boots because my feet are the tools of my trade­­—the most powerful thing I have to express what I believe in."

Trent Alexander-Arnold

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Under Armour is committed to the fight against breast cancer.

 

Our Power in Pink line has been raising money for breast cancer research and education since it launched in 2003. It also culminated in our largest ever single-project investment: $10 Million toward the Under Armour Breast Health Innovation Center located in the heart of Baltimore, MD.

 

When the Breast Health Innovation Center opened in 2016, there were 11 breast medical oncologists seeing a total of 3,051 patients. Today, that has grown to 17 breast medical oncologists seeing a total of 4,434 patients, an increase of 45.3%. The Center offers patient-centric comprehensive care, and has become a destination for patients to seek the most innovative therapies and treatments available.

 

As a global leader in performance apparel, we’re also committed to elevating athletes with personal connections to the disease, including survivors, as well as educating our customers on the benefits of physical activity in both prevention and recovery. Research from the American Cancer Society shows that vigorous athletic activity such as jogging and participating in team or individual sports can significantly reduce the risk of developing breast cancer and, if diagnosed, can make an impact on the recovery process.

 

Every year, over 200,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer. Under Armour is proud to stand and fight with every one of them.