She has just won the German championship with the FC Bayern Munich women’s soccer team, and in international matches she has taken over the captain’s armband from Alexandra Popp. Giulia Gwinn is not only a key player on the pitch, she is also a real role model when it comes to empowerment. We spoke to her about it.
German football fans will have to wait until July 25th: That’s when the women’s national team’s first group match at the Olympic Games in Paris will take place. And of course there will be Giulia Gwinn, 24. The right-back is also considered an absolute social media pro, with 610,000 people following her. However, she objects to the term “influencer” – it’s about much more than just posting about her life. That’s why she is the current face of the Persil campaign “Because you always give your best”. Together with the company, she wants to draw attention to all those who give their best every day in the background so that their performance on the pitch is possible. Giulia wants to show her best to an audience of millions again at the Olympic Games at the latest.
Giulia Gwinn in BRIGITTE interview
BRIGITTE: Giulia, you always do your best. What is your ultimate motivational quote?
Giulia Gwinn: It is “write your own story”. At first my mum didn’t want me to play football. As a little girl she would have preferred to see me play other sports. I then secretly went to training and was quickly able to convince her of my passion. Until I moved to the Bundesliga at 16, I was always the only girl among boys. That’s when you learn to use your elbows and assert yourself. It was clear to me from the start that to achieve my dream of becoming a national player I would always have to give my best and at the same time give up a lot. Football as a hobby and partying too, that was never an option for me. I’m not doing that, I told myself. And I was always happy with the path I took.
Many people volunteer to improve society. What do you find particularly impressive about it?
Without these mega-people, it wouldn’t work. What impresses me most is that these people never complain about too much work or bad circumstances. Their drive comes from within, they live together, they don’t need the limelight themselves. I myself try to drop by football camps in my hometown every now and then in my free time without much notice and train with the kids there. I really enjoy empowering them through play.
Empowering one another is also an important issue among women, and you know that as a top athlete. What does female empowerment mean to you?
Perhaps a quick look back: When I turned professional eight years ago, there were only a few spectators at our games and hardly anyone wearing one of our shirts. Very few people knew our names. But we girls always believed that we could grow together as a team. We had this belief: This can be great, it’s just up to us. We supported each other and made our voices louder and louder – because we realized that there are many of us. We are still on the same path. But now, when I occasionally go to the FC Bayern men’s games in Munich’s Allianz Arena, I always see fans with our names on their shirts. For the men! And our top games are now sold out quickly. That sometimes has more of an impact than a win on the football pitch at the weekend.
Sometimes you give your best and it’s not enough. How do you deal with defeat?
In the past, defeats bothered me and affected me much more. Don’t get me wrong: I still hate losing, but after two cruciate ligament tears, I gained a completely different appreciation for football. When you’re on the pitch every day, you sometimes forget how wonderful it is that you’ve been able to turn your hobby into a career. And when you’ve been out for a year twice, you feel how bad it is when you suddenly don’t have that anymore. I remember that when things don’t go well. In the end, it’s always about a healthy assessment. And I’m just grateful that I can be on the pitch without any problems after two knee operations.
Who has always supported you?
First and foremost, my parents. They used to have to drive me from Friedrichshafen to Ravensburg for training four times a week. Then to games and tournaments. Sometimes my mum would pick me up from school at lunchtime and bring me a plate of food, which I would then eat in the passenger seat on the way to training. My siblings, I have two older brothers and an older sister, often had to take a back seat for me. Looking back, I am enormously grateful to them for accepting this. In addition to family, of course, you also need sporting supporters. I have a special bond with my first coach – Michael ‘Migo’ Fischer. Migo said I should always have fun playing football. At TSG Ailingen, he made sure that I felt comfortable, was well received by the boys and got to play. He saw something in me even at that early stage. We have stayed in touch over the years, which is why I was very happy to meet him in person again as part of my partnership with Persil and to express my appreciation to him.
Who is your role model?
Privately, to be honest, my parents – for the reasons mentioned above. I don’t look up to anyone in terms of sport, but I do try to learn certain things. In the recent past, I’ve done this especially with Joshua Kimmich, who is currently playing in my position again. I find this irrepressible will to always want to win, to get the team going, very special. You never see him give up, he’s always hungry for more. His ambition is impressive. I’ve tried to integrate his offensive advances and crosses into my game too.
You are also a role model for many. What values do you want to pass on and live by?
I first had to understand that my path could be an inspiration for young girls and boys. With this awareness, I now try to pay more attention to what I post on Instagram, for example. It is important to me not to prescribe a specific path, but simply to motivate people to follow their passion. The most important thing is that it has to be fun and come from within. I like to say to people: you have to want it for yourself, not for others. This perhaps explains my motto that I mentioned at the beginning and which still drives me: Write your own story.