Margaret “Midge” Purce isn’t afraid of a little manifestation. As forward for Gotham FC, it’s quite literally her job to materialize opportunities on the field. And if you’ve ever watched her play at New Jersey’s Sports Illustrated Stadium, then you know she’s good at it. “I’m not really the player that just looks for the easy, simple pass. I like to go one v. one. I like to make things happen,” Purce told Popsugar in an exclusive interview just two weeks before Gotham FC landed a spot in the NWSL finals.
This season has been one of redemption for both Gotham FC and Purce. This time last year, the soccer star couldn’t even dream about being in the championships. Her body only had one setting: recovery mode. After a season-ending ACL tear took her off the field in March 2024, Purce spent the next year undergoing surgery and six-a-week rehab sessions until returning to the field the following March. “For most of the year, it really was just about doing everything that’s in my power to get back to where I want to be,” Purce says.
“We have really gritty, relentless mindset players, so we’re just focused on finding a way.”
During her off-season, Gotham managed to advance to third place. But this year, they’re in the finals and will be facing Washington Spirit on Nov. 22 in a fight for the championship title. “We have really gritty, relentless mindset players, so we’re just focused on finding a way. Everything that’s happened in the past doesn’t really matter at all,” Purce says. Instead, she’s practicing radical confidence: “Honestly, with the roster that we have, with the group’s incredible talent that I train with every day — the expectation is a championship.”
It’s that kind of confidence that she aims to instill in future generations, too. In her time off the pitch, Purce works as the executive director for the Black Women’s Player Collective (BWPC). “We founded it in 2020 and it was in response to George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the disarray that I think the entire country is in was in at the time,” Purce says. “I see a lot of things today that are reminiscent of that turmoil that was so deep-rooted and disheartening.”
Her hopes for the collective? To remind little Black girls that they belong — not only on the soccer field, but in this world. The organization hosts training sessions with pro players, field trips to games, and as of Nov. 22-25, the first-ever national showcase in the US to spotlight top-ranked Black women soccer players to elite coaches, scouts, and agents.
“Our mission is no longer about convincing other people to understand or believe or support what we’re saying is true. It’s to support the other young people who are having the same experiences as us — to protect them and support them and make sure that they know that we have a community that is behind them and wants to see them win and wants to see them do well,” Purce says.
Knowing that she’s pulling the next generation up behind her is what keeps Purce grinding so hard, even on tough days. That, and her recovery routine. “I love contrast [therapy] with an infrared sauna and a cold plunge,” Purce says. She typically does 10 minutes in the infrared sauna and then three minutes in the cold plunge, and repeats that two or three times daily. “That makes me feel really, really good . . . my cortisol levels just drop instantly,” Purce says. She’s also big on protein shakes. While she hasn’t found one that she actually enjoys drinking, her biggest life hack is to pick a fun vessel. “When I come home and when my boyfriend gets back, I ask him to make me a protein shake and put it in a really nice glass so it doesn’t feel like it’s work,” Purce reveals. “It’s a mind game.”
After that, there’s not much left on her post-game to-do list. “It’s mostly rehab and recovery during the week,” Purce says, plus reviewing tactics for the game on the weekend. “At this point season, I’m pretty fit. I shouldn’t have to do too many workouts to get
ready.” The only thing on her agenda now: secure the win.
Alexis Jones (she/her) is the section lead of the health and fitness verticals at Popsugar, overseeing coverage across the website, social media, and newsletters. In her seven-plus years of editorial experience, Alexis has developed passions for and expertise in mental health, women’s health and fitness, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and chronic conditions. Prior to joining PS, she was the senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women’s Health, Prevention, Marie Claire, and more.
