Riley Tanner Parents Bellatriz Rintala And Sean Tanner- Sister Brittany

Despite being born in the United States, the professional soccer player Riley Tanner plays for the Panama women’s national team. So, from which side of her parents does she inherit Panamanian heritage?

To answer that question, Riley’s mother was born in Panama, which has allowed her to represent her mother’s homeland.

Riley Madison Tanner Rintala plays as a forward for the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League. She was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on October 15, 1999.

Internationally, she represents the women’s national team of Panama and is playing in the Women’s World Cup 2023.

The forward played collegiate soccer for the University of South Carolina (2018-2021) and the University of Alabama, where she graduated in 2022 with a Master’s in Public Health.

As a student-athlete, she skillfully balanced her academic and athletic responsibilities.

While at the University of Alabama, she actively participated as a Student Intern in a mentorship program for a research project.

After finishing college, Washington Spirit selected her in the third round of the 2023 NWSL Draft.

Moreover, Riley loves Disney’s Frozen, and interestingly, her blonde and braided hair has earned her the nickname of the Disney princess Elsa.

Riley Tanner Parents

Riley was born to parents Bellatrix Rintala and Sean Tanner. As stated earlier, her mother was born in Panama City, Panama, and moved to the United States when she was four.

Talking about Riley’s maternal grandmother, she was born and raised in Chiriquí. She lived in Panama for about 30 years, then moved to the United States.

In an interview, Riley stated that she has visited Panama only twice and doesn’t know much about Panama but is actively willing to learn.

She grew up with her grandmother, who shared many stories about the country.

Due to these stories, she has developed a sentimental attachment to Panama. 

Riley is also the first Panamanian player to play in the first division of soccer in the United States, the NWSL, where several of the best players in the world play.

Sister Brittany Also Plays Soccer

Brittany Tanner is the elder sister of Riley, who also happens to be a soccer player. She played collegiate soccer for the Michigan State University.

Before enrolling at MSU, Britanny attended East Kentwood High School, where she was a four-year letter winner for coach John Conlon.

She was also the all-conference and all-district honoree as a high school first and second-year student.

However, she had to miss portions of her junior and senior years due to injury.

She also displayed her talents on the club level when representing the Grand Rapids Crew Juniors.

Moreover, her commitment to representing her state was evident as she was an integral part of the Michigan ODP state team from 2016 to 2019.

Besides playing soccer at MSU, she graduated with a degree in Kinesiology.