The Rising Giant
The Rising Giant: incredible journeys behind features unique and inspirational stories of women football players who became professionals and are taking football to the next level.
Women from all over the world share their unique stories of their struggles and triumph in this beautiful game.
Follow along as history is being created and get inspired to follow your dreams.
Episodes
30 episodes
#31 Adelina Engman: From a Small Island in Finland to Playing for Chelsea & Inspiring the Next Generation
Join host Dominika Čonč as she sits down with Finnish international Adelina Engman, who shares her journey from a small island in Finland to playing for top clubs in Sweden, England, France, and Italy, while opening up about injuries, resilienc...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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52:23
#30 Laura Giuliani: From Cultural Shocks, Injuries, and Rejections to the No.1 for the Azzurre
Join host Dominika Čonč as she sits down with Italy’s goalkeeper Laura Giuliani, who shares her remarkable journey from cultural shocks, injuries, and early rejections, to becoming a leader for the Azzurre. She reflects on her experiences in Ge...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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1:17:46
#29 Sofie Junge Pedersen: From Living Her Dreams to Changing the World
Join host Dominika Čonč as she sits down with Danish international Sofie Junge Pedersen, who shares her unique journey through Denmark’s progressive football system, her time with top clubs across Sweden, Italy, and Spain, and advocating for cl...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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1:15:30
#28 Julia Karlernäs: From Small-Town Sweden to a Relentless International Journey
Join host Dominika Čonč as she sits down with Swedish international Julia Karlernäs, who shares her journey from a small town and mixed-gender teams to playing in Europe’s top leagues and the Champions League. Julia opens up about what fueled h...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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41:35
#27 Quick Kicks: The Power of Rest — Giving Yourself Permission to Pause
Join host Dominika Čonč as she reflects on her current off-season break and the inner shift that led her to embrace true rest for the first time in years, discovering how stepping back can be just as powerful as pushing forward.
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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6:01
#26 Ramona Petzelberger: From Bundesliga Beginnings to England’s Elite – Navigating Injuries, Growth & the Future of Women’s Football
Join host Dominika Čonč in this powerful and inspiring episode, German international Ramona Petzelberger shares her incredible journey through the highs and lows of professional football. From growing up in a sport-loving family and breaking in...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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1:07:10
#25 Quick Kicks: Growth and Gratitude
Join the host Dominika Čonč as she reflects on her transformation on and off the field, and why gratitude has become one of the most important tools in her life.
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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5:17
#24 Victoire Cogevina Reynal: Investing in Women's Football, Building a Movement with Mercury 13 & Empowering the Next Generation
Join host Dominika Čonč as she sits down with Victoire Cogevina Reynal — entrepreneur, activist, and co-founder of Mercury 13. From growing up in an Argentinian football family to becoming one of the few women owning a professional football clu...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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1:09:37
#23 Quick Kicks: Listening to Your Body and Adjusting the Training According to It
Join the host Dominika Čonč as she talks about a major shift in her training: learning to truly listen to her body and adjusting the training based on that.
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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6:57
#22 Dominika Škorvánková: From ACL Injuries to Captaining Slovakia and Playing for FC Bayern München
Join host Dominika Čonč as she sits down with Slovak national team captain Dominika Škorvánková. From playing with boys in her village to overcoming ACL injuries, Dominika’s journey took her all the way to Bayern München and over 130 appearance...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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54:21
#21 Quick Kicks: Pressure is only created by our minds
In this quick kicks episode Dominika shares how expectations and pressure started to creep in and how she dealt with it.
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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6:45
#20 Katja Schroffenegger: Playing the Long Game – From Setbacks to Champions League and Italian National Team
Join host Dominika Čonč as she sits down with FC Como Women goalkeeper Katja Schroffenegger. After battling through serious injuries and setbacks, Katja made her way back to the top—playing in the Champions League and earning her place in the I...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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1:02:51
#19 Quick Kicks: You’re As Strong As You Believe You Are
Join host Dominika Čonč as she reflects on a recent shift in her playing position, exploring how embracing change and challenging her own self-perception helped her grow. She dives into the power of our beliefs and how the way we choose to see ...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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6:05
#18 Lauren Holiday: The Pressure to Perform on the USWNT, Empowering Others, and Finding Strength in Faith
Join host Dominika Čonč as she speaks with former USWNT player, World Cup champion, and Olympic gold medalist Lauren Holiday. Lauren shares her inspirational journey on and off the football field and how faith played a key role in overcoming ob...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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28:37
#17 Quick Kicks: Staying Open and Trusting That Every Situation Works in Your Favor
Join host Dominika Čonč as she shares insights into her current career journey and how she embraces openness, trusting that life’s surprises ultimately work in her favor.
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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8:32
#16 Florentina Olar Spânu: From Playing in the Streets of Romania to Champions League, 197 National Team Caps, and Balancing Motherhood
Join host Dominika Čonč as she speaks with her former teammate and captain of the Romanian national team, Florentina Olar Spânu. Florentina shares her journey from humble beginnings in Romania, where conditions were far from what we see today. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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45:19
#15 Quick Kicks │ Are you having fun?
Join the host Dominika Čonč as she talks about one of the fundamental questions we should all be asking ourselves and the wake up call she received about it.
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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13:30
#14 Nadine Nischler: From Serie C to Serie A and Italian National Team– The League’s Biggest Surprise
Join host Dominika Čonč as she speaks with her FC Como Women teammate Nadine Nischler. Coming form serie C and scoring 7 goals so far in her first year in the serie A, Nadine became the biggest surprise of this season and also earned her first ...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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34:34
#13 Quick Kicks | The Mental Game: Dealing with Not Playing
Join host Dominika Čonč as she opens up about her current club situation, navigating the challenges of not playing, and how she stays focused, motivated, and ready for her next opportunity.
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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13:23
#12 Natasha Dowie: From an Incredible International Career to Becoming Liverpool FC’s First Female Ambassador
Join host Dominika Čonč as she chats with her former teammate and English international Natasha Dowie. They dive into Natasha’s incredible journey across some of the biggest continents and leagues in women’s football at the time. She shares the...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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1:00:40
#11 Quick Kicks │ Beyond the Starting XI
Join host Dominika Čonč in another Quick Kicks episode as she dives into the importance of every player on the team, not just those in the starting lineup. From the bench to the training ground, we explore how the collective effort of the entir...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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3:53
#9 Quick Kicks │ Beyond the Sidelines: The Mindset Shift Driving Women’s Football Forward
Join host Dominika Čonč in our new short episodes series Quick Kicks as she dives into the incredible growth of women’s sports. From greater media coverage to skyrocketing fan support and the broader mindset shift that’s changing the game for w...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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8:14
#8 Mária Korenčiová: When Love for the Sport Takes You on a Journey You Never Believed Was Possible
Join host Dominika Čonč for an engaging conversation with professional football player and former teammate, Mária Korenčiová. A key member of the Slovakian national team, Mária shares her journey from a time when women’s football was still unde...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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50:53
#7 Bonus Ep. │ Dominika Čonč: Overcoming Burnout as a Professional Football Player, Leaving AC Milan, and Dropping the Victim Mentality
Join the host Dominika Čonč in this bonus solo episode as she opens up about her time in AC Milan, facing burnout as a professional football player, and how it all made her drop out of the victim mentality.
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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20:00
#6 Rachel Cuschieri: Out of a Small Island and into the Big Leagues, Dealing with Injuries, and Growing as a Player
Join the host Dominika Čonč as she dives into a conversation with her at the time teammate and roommate at UC Sampdoria, Rachel Cuschieri. Rachel is a professional football player from a small island of Malta. She spoke about her journey of bec...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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27:27