LAST LOOK

Mia Hamm, Focused

Photo courtesy of Vision Ease

mia Hamm is a soccer superstar, of course. But a career of playing soccer outdoors with no eye protection took its eventual toll in the form of pterygium—a condition for which she’s needed two eye surgeries.

For the past two years, Hamm has been a spokesperson for Vision Ease’s Coppertone polarized and UV-blocking sun lenses. Here, she shares her story with EB:

After years of playing soccer on an international level (and without sunwear) Hamm noticed her eyes were getting sensitive and would dry out quickly.

“I just couldn’t go outside without sunglasses anymore. [My eyes] hurt too much.”

Her vision was affected, especially at night. She got scared. She had her first surgery for pterygium in 2000 and a second one two years later.

“From then on out, sunglasses have been a part of my travel accessories. They go everywhere with me.”

Her experience made her hypervigilant with her own children regarding sunwear use.

And she partnered with Vision Ease, in part because she wanted to help raise awareness about the risks of UV exposure to eye health.

“I think [eye health risk] should go hand in hand when you’re talking about skin cancer, whenever you’re talking about the harm that the sun’s rays can do to your body.”

—Susan Tarrant