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
36 episodes
#37 Valentina Giacinti: Rise to Fame, Football Glory, and Hidden Fight with Depression
#36 Vero Boquete: Spanish Legend on Her Incredible Career, Shaping Spain’s Football & Pushing the Limits
Join the host Dominika Čonč as she sits down with Spanish football pioneer Verónica Boquete, a Champions League winner and one of the players who helped shape the rise of women’s football in Spain.
#35 Dominika Čonč: From a Small Slovenian Town to Playing for the Europe's Biggest Clubs
Join the podcast host Dominika Čonč while she takes you through her journey of becoming a professional football player for some of the biggest clubs in the world. Through ups and downs, she has been following her dreams and carving at times a u...
#34 Heather O’Reilly: Winning Olympic Gold & World Cup with the USWNT, Hall of Fame, Dealing with the Competition & Retirement
Join the host Dominika Čonč as she sits down with World Cup winner, Olympic gold medalist, and US Women’s National Team legend Heather O’Reilly. Heather shares her journey from being a young fan in the stands to earning 231 caps for her country...
#33 Adrijana Mori: The Raw Reality of Multiple ACL Rehabs & the Return to Bundesliga Football
Join host Dominika Čonč as she talks with Adriana Mori about navigating repeated ACL tears, rebuilding her confidence, and finding joy in the game after thinking her career was over.
#32 Lara Prašnikar: The Highs, The Lows and Breaking Through
Join host Dominika Čonč as she sits down with Lara Prašnikar, who opens up about difficult periods in her career and how she found a way to trust herself again and return to peak performance.
#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...
#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...
#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...
#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...
#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.
#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...
#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.
#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...
#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.
#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...
#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.
#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...
#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 ...
#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...
#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.
#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. ...
#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.
#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 ...