“I realized that I was enjoying that so much more”: How Brittany Mahomes’ unexpected Iceland journey transformed her soccer dream into a career beyond the pitch

Patrick Mahomes wife Brittany Mahomes travelled to Iceland in 2017 expecting to take the next step in her soccer career. She had just finished a record-setting college run at the University of Texas at Tyler and earned her first professional opportunity. But away from the pitch, Brittany found herself drawn to the gym and began creating workouts. That unexpected interest slowly changed the direction of her career and gave her a new path beyond soccer.Nearly nine years later, that decision has taken Brittany from professional soccer to fitness, business and ownership in women's sports. In 2026, she also reached a full-circle moment with her UT Tyler Hall of Fame induction, while raising three children with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.Brittany Mahomes went to Iceland for soccer but discovered a new passion away from the pitchBrittany Mahomes move to Iceland came after an impressive college career. Between 2013 and 2016, she made 74 appearances for UT Tyler, scored 31 goals and recorded 16 assists. Her 2016 senior season produced 18 goals and 40 points, setting single-season program records at the time. She also graduated with a kinesiology degree, which later helped her move naturally into fitness.On May 15, 2017, UT Tyler announced that Brittany had signed with Icelandic club UMF Afturelding/Fram. She played five matches during her only professional season and scored twice. The club won its league and earned promotion, but Brittany's time as a professional player ended after that campaign.Iceland, however, gave her more than professional playing experience. With fewer things to occupy her outside soccer, Brittany started spending more time in the gym, creating workouts and sharing them online. In her Feb. 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit interview, she explained how that routine changed her thinking.“I didn’t have a ton to do outside of soccer, so I found myself spending a ton of time in the gym working out, creating workouts, and posting them online. I realized that I was enjoying that so much more than actually playing soccer,” Brittany said during the interview.That realisation gave her a reason to explore something beyond playing. Instead of forcing herself to stay on a path that no longer felt right, Brittany followed the interest she had discovered overseas. Her Iceland experience eventually brought Brittany Mahomes back to soccer in a different roleBrittany turned that interest into Brittany Lynne Fitness in 2019. She built an online training business around the fitness habits she had developed as an athlete. Her connection to soccer, meanwhile, never completely disappeared. On Dec. 7, 2020, she became part of the ownership group awarded an NWSL expansion franchise in Kansas City. The club became the Kansas City Current in 2021.The Current later opened CPKC Stadium in March 2024, giving the club a purpose-built home for women's professional soccer. Brittany had gone from trying to earn a place on the field to helping create a better platform for players.Motherhood has also changed what she wants from that work. Brittany and Patrick Mahomes now have three children, Sterling, Bronze and Golden. In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Brittany explained that she does not want to be defined by just one role.“I’ve never really wanted to define myself as one role. I feel like women are beyond capable of doing so many things at once,” she said.That outlook fits the journey that started in Iceland. Brittany went overseas as a young soccer player looking for her next opportunity. She returned with a new interest that eventually became a business and later helped lead her back into soccer ownership.In 2026, UT Tyler also inducted her into its Athletics Hall of Fame, bringing recognition to the college career that started the journey. For Brittany Mahomes, the road from Texas to Iceland and eventually back into women's soccer has not followed a straight line. The unexpected turn became the part that shaped everything that came after.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.