Giovanna Barbosa has built a global creative career, challenging the waves of beauty and femininity but it all started at a shoot for her football club Coventry City. From playing at U.J to an international scholarship to play for a division 1 college in America to becoming a professional footballer for Coventry City, and winning a championship, Giovanna shines as a light of determination and power.
In this episode, she shares how a full-ride Division 1 scholarship to Texas A&M, along with Nike sponsored goods, set her on a path few South Africans have walked—studying neuroscience while playing elite college football in the U.S. Before that, she had just chased the ball. From kicking it around with the boys at Rovers, to making every team she could in South Africa, determination, hard work and grit opened incredible doors and we go in to the depth of her journey and her story from U.J to Texas and then to the U.K. A few paths diverged and converged and a contract with Aston Villa, Birmingham City, as well as Coventry City landed on the table, how did she choose and what did this mean for her journey in football? Giovanna discusses the change in the women’s sport industry from when she started until today, and she digs into her experiences and what she is witnessing within the game. We go into this and truth bomb about the DNA of the women’s game, the heartbeat of engagement, and what she witnessed when they brought the kids on to the field when playing for Coventry. Harder work, missing socks, no shirts, and the new kit next week, it’s all for the fans!
But this story takes a turn. A photo shoot at Coventry City FC shifted her entire trajectory. From the pitch to global campaigns. From shin guards to stilettos. Was it random? Or something more? Giovanna opens up about the dream she had just the night before our recording—and a training session on the horizon that could change everything again.
She doesn’t just play the game. She is the game. From a professional red card in a quarter final match, to the moment she kicked at a curved gate at six years old, and the significance these moments have had on her, will stay with you. Giovanna Barbosa shares some advice for the young girls out there wanting to make it in the world of professional football, her thoughts and experiences are invaluable. This one is for all the women dreaming big, and working hard, you will be inspired and motivated to keep going.