Forbes 30 Under 30: USWNT on building the voice for women's sports

"Don't forget what got me here, enjoy the moment and remember the people you're doing this with."

That's the message Shannon Boxx said she would have told herself in the months and weeks leading up to the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.

For teammates Alex Morgan and Julie Johnston their message was the same: to enjoy the journey and embrace the opportunity.

That's what these three women drove home to NBC's Ronan Farrow and the twentysomethings, millenial heavy audience Tuesday morning at the Forbes Under 30 Summit at the Pa. Convention Center. Opportunities were there for the taking on their journey to become world champions, but it certainly didn't happen overnight.

"Every single person has a different story of how they got to the top. And none of it was easy," said Boxx.

As a mother, 12-year soccer playing veteran, and someone who has struggled with two autoimmune diseases, Lupus and Sjogren's syndrome, her journey has been far from easy.

"I kept it hidden but going through it reinvented me. I changed my workouts, my eating habits. It made me a better player. Once I told my teammates it was easy," Boxx explained.

In terms of taking advantage of opportunities, perhaps Johnston's perseverance and work ethic stands out.  After being left off the initial roster, Johnston describes her experience as a blessing in disguise.

"It was an eye opening experience for me to reevaluate myself and find out where I want to be. It gave me a new opportunity to create who I wanted to be as an athlete. I was lost at times, but I wouldn't change anything," Johnston said.

All three women expressed how they and their teammates are also determined to use the platform they've established to continue to grow as role models for women of all ages.

"We knew this was our chance," Morgan said. "But we didn't realize the impact we had until we got home."

With 2.1 million followers on Twitter, Morgan hopes that using social media to tell the world her story and who she is on and off the field will yeild positive results. Boxx still believes they have a long way to go but since they've gainied traction on social media, it has really helped get their message out there.

"For me, reaching out to the community to help and inspire, I want to make sure that girls know their dream is alive," Morgan said.

If it's being a role model to younger teammates or women and girls across the country, they're making it a priority to use their status as elite athletes to make their message and voice heard.

Morgan's children's book series, The Kicks, geared toward 8-12 year olds, aims to do just that.

"I wanted to reach out to them with that series because there isn't a lot out there for young girls, especially books based on female athletes," Morgan explained.

Using that voice for an inspiration to fans or other athletes, the women's team is still struggling to reach the ears of those at FIFA, specifically in regards to the pay cap.

They are focused on keeping the pressure on the organization to make that change, which is something Morgan was not shy about addressing.

"We captured a nation's heart this summer, the players need to get paid for what they're putting out on the field."

It's the obstacles and struggles that paved the way for this U.S. women's team and with those learning experiences and that same voice that they hope to achieve that same success for the future of their sport.