After the first player with a limb difference made an appearance on the USWNT, an NFL player who also has a limb difference celebrated her accomplishment
- Carson Pickett on Tuesday became the first woman with a limb difference to play for the USWNT.
- Shaquem Griffin, an NFL player with a limb difference of his own, celebrated her achievement.
Days after Carson Pickett became the first woman with a limb difference to appear on the US Women's National Soccer Team, NFL linebacker Shaquem Griffin, who has a limb difference of his own, celebrated her accomplishment.
Griffin, who is currently a free agent, told Insider that Pickett's appearance was "a big moment in sports and also history."
"She's definitely sharing more light for us athletes and setting a great example for more athletes to go after their dreams," Griffin said.
Carson, a 28-year-old defender who plays for the North Carolina Courage, was born missing part of her left arm.
The USWNT tweeted on Tuesday that Pickett was "the first-ever player with a limb difference to earn a #USWNT cap."
"Kick It Like Pickett," the team said ahead of the game against Colombia.
Griffin celebrated Pickett's feat on Twitter Wednesday.
"Making a difference one sport at a time," he wrote, attached to a clip of Pickett during the game.
"We shouldn't be left out because of what we don't have or be limited to what we can do," Griffin later told Insider of Pickett's USWNT appearance.
"Don't worry about if I have one hand or two hands, just worry about my abilities and what I am doing on the field," the linebacker said. "The question is: 'Are you going to work your butt off for it?' That is what it's always about."
Griffin, a twin, was born with amniotic band syndrome, causing the fingers on his left hand to never fully develop, ESPN reported in 2013. When Griffin was 4 years old, his parents chose to have his hand amputated due to pain from the syndrome.
As an adult, Griffin has made a career in the NFL, spending two years on the Seattle Seahawks, followed by one season with the Miami Dolphins. Griffin has also become a motivational speaker and an NFL ambassador.
But he said the negativity around athletes with limb differences has to change, pointing to commentators who address them as "athletes with limb differences" rather than just "athletes."
"They're bringing negativity to some athletes who may take it in and think, 'You know what, they're right. I'm not going to do this,'" he said. "Until that ends, we won't be considered the same."
Pickett called her USWNT appearance a "dream come true"
Pickett did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on her first USWNT appearance, but she said on Twitter Wednesday that it was a "dream come true."
In April, she told her Instagram followers about her limb difference in honor of Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness month.
"While I know that I am confident and comfortable with showing my arm, I know there are so many people in the world who aren't," she wrote. "I hope to encourage anyone who struggles with their limb difference to not be ashamed of who they are."
"Let's all try to love ourselves no matter what we look like and let's all be kind to each other above all else," she added. "Different people are my kind of people. The world needs more of that."
"It's a small line between wanting to give up on yourself and wanting to keep going," Griffin said
Griffin, meanwhile, hopes to inspire the next generation of athletes with limb differences and "see more going after it."
"It's about having the mental mindset to be able to push when things get tough," Griffin said. "It's a small line between wanting to give up on yourself and wanting to keep going."
He said having him, Pickett, and others with limb differences in major sports gives people "somebody to look up to."
Speaking to "anybody listening," Griffin said, "I want you to understand that you should always keep going no matter if it's hard or not. You made it that far, and there's a reason that you made it, so keep on fighting."