'Dancing with the Stars' Hope Solo: 'I take pride in athleticism'

Hope Solo has said that she is most proud of being a "strong female athlete".

The professional women's soccer star and Dancing with the Stars competitor told US Weekly that she does not stress about her appearance as she knows that staying in good shape is part of her job requirement.

"Being responsible and taking care of your body is truly how you make your pay cheque, how you excel and succeed in your lifelong goals, so for me it's just an everyday lifestyle," the 30-year-old explained.

"I burn so many calories when I work out that I don't really count calories or necessarily try and stay away from anything. But when you do work out, you crave healthier foods, so I think the more you work out, the better you naturally want to be to your body. Being a strong female athlete is what I take pride in."

Solo also revealed that she does not get nutrition advice from a doctor or work with a personal trainer as she is well aware of how to take care of herself, adding: "I'm 30 years old, so I sort of know what my body needs and how I get energy."

Solo's Dancing with the Stars partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy said going into this season that the pair are in a "good situation" and have every chance of winning.

Last week, the pair were in the bottom two and only narrowly escaped elimination ahead of Kristin Cavallari and professional partner Mark Ballas.