After retiring from track and field in 2016, Olympians Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen-Eaton took a step back from the sports world. The couple, both University of Oregon alumni who now live in Portland, wanted to branch out, to see what else was out there.

It prompted a lengthy hiatus from the pursuit which had defined a great portion of their lives to that point.

Three years passed, and the two were casually watching television when they found themselves suddenly enraptured by the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Then and there, they were reminded of the power of sports, later agreeing it was time to get involved once more.

Nearly five years to the month later, Eaton — who was raised in La Pine and Bend and is a graduate of Mountain View High School — and Theisen-Eaton have fittingly popped their heads back up in the world of women’s soccer, officially joining Portland-raised UO and NFL quarterback Joey Harrington as the newest investors in the Portland Thorns.

“When this opportunity came up,” Theisen-Eaton said Thursday afternoon, “we were both a little bit surprised, but also very excited. Coming from a sport background, (we) obviously love being involved in sport, and I think especially just the direction this women’s team is going and changing women’s sport, really, I think they’re the catalyst for that.”

In the weeks following the Bhathal family’s $63 million purchase of the club in January, a series of investment groups were formed. Shortly after, Harrington, an early inclusion, reached out to Eaton and Theisen-Eaton, explaining there was potential for more athletes to get involved.

“It was an easy phone call,” Harrington said, “there was no sell at all.”

To have such an opportunity, said Eaton — a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon — was a rarity in professional sports, albeit one that hadn’t initially been on their radar. Once its legitimacy was confirmed, and significance discussed, however, he and Theisen-Eaton, an Olympic bronze medalist in the heptathlon, were on board.

“I think the bottom line is we believe that sport has the power to have serious impacts on communities and, honestly, the world at large …,” Eaton said. “These athletes are just really inspiring, and I think this place has the culture and the right team and the right club and the right ownership to help it even elevate more.”

The couple has attended one game this season, and plans to make it more often as they continue raising their children. They envision the club and its community as a point of immersion for their 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter, who they’ll be traveling with to Paris next week for the Summer Olympics.

Harrington and his family, on the other hand, hold six season tickets to both the Thorns and Timbers, attending what he estimated to be two-thirds of all matches.