When we talk about soccer, the most famous players are mostly male. However, the world has some exceptional female soccer players, and Kealia Ohai is one of them.
Kealia Ohai is an American professional soccer athlete who is currently signed with the Chicago Stars of the NWSL.
With her remarkable skills and fast pace, she has played a significant role in winning the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She has many incredible award honors under her name throughout her journey.
Furthermore, let’s dive into the life of this enthusiastic, gifted, and beautiful soccer athlete. Here, we will be providing you with all the details about her early life, education, prospering career, net worth, and her famous athlete husband.
Before we leap in, let’s look into some quick facts first.
Kealia Ohai | Quick Facts
| Full Name | Kealia Ohai Watt |
| Birth Date | January 31st, 1992 |
| Birth Place | Draper, Utah |
| Age | 30 years old |
| Nickname | Not Available |
| Religion | Not Available |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | The University of North Carolina (UNC), Alta High School |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Father’s Name | Ben Ohai |
| Mother’s Name | Cindy Ohai |
| Siblings | Megan Cushing |
| Height | 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 meters) |
| Weight | 60 kgs |
| Figure | Athletic |
| Shoe Size | Not Available |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Eye Color | Hazel |
| League | NWSL |
| Active Years | 2000- Present |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | J.J Watt |
| Children | None |
| Profession | Professional Soccer Player |
| Position | Midfielder, Forward |
| Former Team | Houston Dash |
| Net Worth | $1 million |
| Career Highlights & Awards | NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship- 2012
CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship- 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup- 2012 |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
| Merch | Books |
| Last Update | July, 2022 |
Kealia Ohai | Childhood, Family, and Education
Kealia Ohai, a NWSL player, was born on January 31, 1992, in Draper, Utah, to proud parents Ben Ohai and Cindy Ohai.
Similarly, Ohai has a sister named Megan Cushing, a former athlete who made a name for herself on the USC soccer team. She is currently a fitness blogger and does not participate in sports. Ohai’s sister is also married to former American football linebacker Brian Cushing, and they have two children, Cayden and Kai.
Ohai is an Aquarius, according to the horoscope. The most common Aquarius characteristics are assertiveness, analytical thinking, and independence. Ohai, without a doubt, possesses these characteristics. We can observe them throughout her professional soccer career.
Age, Height, and Body Dimensions
Nonetheless, Ohai is one of the most appealing soccer players on the planet. She has a stunning athletic figure and a lovely smile.
Furthermore, she is a stunning woman who stands 5’5″ (1.65 m) tall and weighs 60 kgs. Ohai also has lovely hazel eyes, blonde hair, and chiseled features.
Education
Ohai received her education at Alta High School in Sandy, Utah, where she graduated in June 2010. For four years, she was a varsity soccer player at her school. She was a soccer fanatic who excelled in her career as a professional player.
Similarly, Kealia attended the University of North Carolina, where she played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Kealia Ohai | Profession and Career
Career in High School
Alta High School’s four-year varsity soccer athlete. From then on, the school team competed in the state soccer championship, winning it four years in a row from 2006 to 2009.
During her high school playing career, Ohai won numerous titles and honors thanks to her exceptional soccer talent.
She was a three-time 5A soccer MVP, a three-time first-team high school All-America, a three-time All-State selection, and a two-time Gatorade state player of the year.
In addition, she was named the 2010 NSCAA National High School Player of the Year and a Parade All-American in 2010.
Ohai also played soccer for the Utah Avalanche, a non-profit organization dedicated to excellence in the development of competitive youth soccer players, in addition to her school team.
Ohai won four state titles while playing club soccer for the Utah Avalanche. Kealia had impressive goals for her future career.
College Career
Ohai attended the University of North Carolina and played for the college team North Carolina Tar Heels from 2010 to 2013. She rose to become one of the top goal scorers.
Ohai made an immediate impact as a freshman for the Tar Heels. She was named First-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and All-ACC Freshman Team. Throughout the tournament, she started 22 of the team’s 24 games and scored 14 goals.
Ohai also started all 20 games she played in the tournament during her sophomore year, where she scored three game-winning goals and served six assists. She also scored six goals in the game.
Ohai scored the game-winning goal in overtime during the NCAA Division Women’s Soccer Championship in 2012. Her outstanding performance earned her the title of Tournament’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player.
Ohai was named the UNC Tar Heels’ 2013 Senior CLASS Award winner in NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer in 2013, an award given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete on a Division I women’s soccer team.
Houston Dash’s Professional Career
The Houston Dash selected Kealia Ohai, known for her excellent speed and competitive spirit, as the second overall pick in the 2014 NWSL College Draft. She was the expansion team’s first college draft pick.
During Ohai’s draft selection, Dash head coach Randy Waldrum said, “I couldn’t have asked for things to fall into place so well.” The Houston Dash are having a fantastic day. We got one of the best forwards in the country when we chose Ohai. She moves quickly, is extremely athletic, and her speed allows her to stretch defenses.”
Ohai quickly became the club’s captain midway through the 2016 season, coinciding with a scoring streak of 11 goals in 10 games. She was named NWSL Player of the Week in weeks fifteen and seventeen of the season.
Ohai finished the season tied with Lynn Williams for the golden boot, which was awarded to Williams because she had more assists than Ohai. Kealia was named to the NWSL’s Best XI for the 2016 season.
Ohai scored two goals in ten games in 2017 before suffering an ACL tear on June 24th against the Orlando Pride. Her injury forced her to miss the rest of the 2017 season.
Ohai, on the other hand, returned to the game on April 22nd, 2018, against the Orlando Pride. During the 2018 season, she appeared in nineteen games and scored five goals.
Chicago Red Stars
On January 6th, 2020, the Houston Dash traded Kealia Ohai to the Chicago Red Stars in exchange for Katie Naughton.
Ohai will also serve as the Grand Marshal for the Downtown Rodeo Parade on February 29th, 2020. The Houston Dash CEO thanked Ohai for her outstanding leadership of the Houston Dash. They said it was an honor to have her lead the Downtown Rodeo Parade.
Ohai’s contract with the Chicago Red Stars is currently worth $650,000, and she is expected to earn an annual average salary of $52,500.
National Team Career
Kealia Ohai has been a member of the United States Youth National Programs since the age of thirteen. She has represented the under-15, under-17, under-18, under-20, and under-23 teams.
Ohai was a member of the 2012 US U-20 Women’s National team for the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, where she scored the game-winning goal in the final 44 minutes to lead the US to victory over Germany.
Kealia made her senior team debut for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) on October 23rd, 2016, against Switzerland in a friendly match in Minneapolis.
Ohai scored 48 seconds after entering the game as a substitute in the 81st minute during the friendly match. Her incredible goal set a record for the fastest goal in a US women’s national team debut.
Many people thought Ohai would make the US national team for the World Cup and Olympics in 2016. She, on the other hand, was unable to make it.
Later, Ohai was called up to the team’s training camp for the 2018 Tournament of Nations in July 2018, her first call-up since injuring her knee in 2017 while playing against the Orlando Pride. Ohai, however, did not make the tournament’s final roster.
General Information
During the 2018 NWSL season, she suffered a grade 3 ACL sprain and a medial meniscus tear in her left knee. The same night, they confirmed the case with an MRI scan, and she was placed on the injured list for the remainder of the days.
Following that, she spent months undergoing surgeries, rehab, and regeneration. Ohai herself described it as the worst experience of her life.
Aside from that, Kealia Ohai has rare astigmatisms and is legally blind in her right eye. To illustrate, she only sees through her left eye with the help of a corrective lens or contact lens.
In fact, she has been dealing with it since she was a child.
Kealia Ohai’s Salary and Net Worth
Ohai’s salary as a national soccer player for the United States is $37,800, which is significantly less than the salary of men’s national players. As a result, her net worth is likely to be lower than that of the top male soccer players.
The payment is also not equitable in relation to the FIFA prize. The total award value for the Women’s World Cup 2019 was only $30 million, whereas the total prize value for the 2018 men’s World Cup football was $400 million.
Female soccer players are reportedly paid $265,000 by the NWSL. Ohai’s salary and net worth are still unknown. She also has endorsement deals with well-known brands such as Puma and Blink Fitness.
Kealia Ohai | Husband
Kealia Ohai, a beautiful soccer star, is married to J.J Watt, a professional American football athlete in the National Football League (NFL). Before they married, the couple dated for nearly five years.
They kept their relationship private until October 2018. Ohai confirmed their long-term relationship on the 2 Up Front Podcast.
Ohai and J.J Watt got engaged on May 26, 2019, and will marry in the Bahamas in February 2020.
Watt had a few surprises up his sleeve when he proposed to Ohai. After the romantic proposal, he flew to Houston with his family and friends to share their joy.
In addition, their wedding took place at the end of Valentine’s Week at The Ocean Club, a Four Seasons Resort in the Bahamas.
Ohai was wearing a beaded Berta gown with dainty bedazzled straps and an elegant train at the time. She accessorized her dress with Christian Louboutin shoes and Emily Sole Growney jewelry.
Meanwhile, Watt wore a light-colored suit with a flower on his lapel. Piper Hatfield of Piper & Muse coordinated their wedding.
In addition, their wedding venue was adorned with wildflowers and large chandeliers.
Kealia Ohai | Social Media Presence
Ohai is quite active on all her social media platforms.
She has around 346k followers on Instagram. She usually posts about various moments with her family and snippets of her gamedays.
On Twitter, Ohai has around 72.2k followers.
She is moderately active on Facebook and has around 4k followers.
Interesting Facts about Kealia Ohai
- Kealia Ohai is sightless in one eye as she was diagnosed with severe astigmatism in her right eye when she was only six years old. In her early school years, she was used to wearing a patch over her left eye with the faith that her right eye will regain strength again. However, it never happened.
- Kealia Ohai had the remarkable talent to score goals early when she was only three years old. As a toddler, she started playing pee-wee soccer.
Kealia Ohai | FAQs
How do you pronounce Kealia and what does it mean?
Kealia is pronounced as Kay-LEE-uh. If we go through the geographical meanings, it literally means “the salt encrustation” in Hawaiian. As for her name, she is named after Kealia Beach in Hawaii, which her father is familiar with.
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