Mari-Rae Sopper

Mari-Rae Sopper (June 19, 1966 – September 11, 2001) was an American gymnastics coach and Judge Advocate General's Corps lawyer. She was a victim of the September 11 attacks as a passenger on hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 which crashed into The Pentagon.

Early life and education

Sopper was born on June 19, 1966, to Marion and Bill Sopper.^[1][2] She was a native of Inverness, Illinois.^[1][3][4] She attended William Fremd High School in Palatine, Illinois and was a stand-out gymnast.^[3][4][5]

Sopper enrolled at Iowa State University and walked-on to their women's gymnastics team as a freshman.^[6] She was placed on scholarship for her final three years, culminating in being named "Most Valuable Gymnast" as a senior.^[1][6] She graduated from Iowa State University in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science.^[1][2][7][8]

Sopper went on to attend the University of North Texas, where she graduated with a master's degree in athletic administration in 1993.^[1][2][3] She earned her J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law in 1996.^[1][2][3][8]

Career

In 1996, Sopper moved to Washington, D.C. and worked for the Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant.^[9][10] She worked for four years in this capacity before leaving for Schmeltzer Aptaker & Shepard.^[1][3][8][9] While working, Sopper continued to be involved with gymnastics and served on the coaching staffs of the United States Naval Academy women's gymnastics club team and at George Washington University.^{[1][3][7][8][9]}

Sopper was appointed as the head coach for UC Santa Barbara Gauchos' women's gymnastics team on August 31, 2001.^[11] UC Santa Barbara, just days earlier on August 10, had announced the immediate discontinuation of the program, but it was re-instated on August 13.^[12][13][14] Despite a pay-cut of over 70%, a salary of $98,000 as a lawyer to her new $28,000 women's gymnastics salary, and UC Santa Barbara officials stating the program's termination in a year, Sopper agreed to take the job.^[3][13][15] She was aboard American Airlines Flight 77 en route to Los Angeles International Airport to begin her new career.^{[11][16][17][18]} She was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.^[4]

Legacy

Sopper is memorialized in numerous different ways, featuring at both the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Manhattan, New York City and the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington County, Virginia.^[4] Her alma mater, Iowa State University, presents the "Mari-Rae Sopper Outstanding Performance Award" to a gymnastics athlete after each home meet.^[7] A Judge Advocate General's Corps conference room within The Pentagon was also named after her.^[4]

UC Santa Barbara honored Sopper by dedicating the 2002 women's gymnastic season in her honor.^[19][20] The team flew Sopper's mother and step-father in to a match at the university's expense.^[19][20]

The "Mari-Rae Sopper Gymnastics Memorial Fund" was created by her mother, Marion, with an initial aim to save the UC Santa Barbara gymnastics program.^[21] The effort was ultimately unsuccessful after UC Santa Barbara set a $4 million goal while the Fund offered $75,000 and UCSB cut the program.^[22] The Fund ultimately went to help other gymnastics programs in need.^{[22][23][24][25]}

Further reading

• Tailele, Joanne Simon (June 3, 2015). Within Her Grasp. ISBN 9781512124453. 
• Elliott, Josh (September 24, 2001). "On Her Way To Fulfill A Dream". Sports Illustrated. 
• Appelbaum, Eliav (September 20, 2001). "Women's Gymnastics Team Coach Dies in Terrorist Attack". Daily Nexus. Santa Barbara, California. 
• Moreno, Sylvia. "Sacred Ground - Remembering the Victims: Mari-Rae Sopper". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. 
• "Mari-Rae Sopper". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. September 17, 2001. 

References

External links

• Official website
• Mari-Rae Sopper at Find a Grave