About me
Honesty, authenticity and seeing the bigger picture
In professional sport, in life and in all my work, I always come back to the same core idea: my interest in people. What matters most to me? Tolerance, responsibility and authenticity. What drives me is the question of how we can turn ideas into action and create real impact.
Title celebrations, setbacks, comebacks – football has always been pure emotion for me. Every phase has shaped me, both as an athlete and as a person. Without this journey, my life would not be what it is today.
From Austria to Munich and London, it was never just about the game for me, but about the people behind it – their stories, perspectives and journeys.
Today, I share my experiences to inspire, encourage and empower people.
Childhood & Youth 1991 – 2006
Football came into my life when I was seven years old. Right across from our family farm was the local football pitch, and there were always ten to fifteen kids playing there at any time of the day. I was the only girl most of the time – but giving up was never an option.
We played for hours on end, interrupted only occasionally by my mum when she called us for a drink break. If nothing was going on at the village pitch, we played on the field next to our house – never without my brother David. Eventually, we started to feel a little guilty whenever the ball landed in my mum’s flower beds again, so we set up a small ‘fine system’. Every missed shot meant you had to put a little money into the pot.
Looking back, you could say: it paid off.
International Football 2006 – 2022
FC Bayern Munich
As a child, I collected posters of my idols of FC Bayern Munich – playing there myself years later felt surreal. Moving to Munich was my own initiative, but the start was anything but easy: leaving home at 16, a new school, a new city – and in my debut at 17, after just ten minutes, everything collapsed. A torn ACL, torn medial ligament, torn meniscus and my first surgery. One doctor even advised me to give up professional football.
I learned to see setbacks not as the end, but as the starting point. I went on to play for Bayern for eleven years, take on responsibility and celebrate two league titles as well as a cup victory. Looking back, that time became my greatest school for discipline, resilience and self-confidence.
Arsenal London
The move to London was not a spontaneous decision, but a conscious one. I wanted to be fully committed to it – and follow my instinct that it was time for something new. Women’s football in England was developing rapidly, and the challenge excited me. But here too, everything started with a setback: a cartilage injury threatened to end my first season before it had truly begun.
I fought my way back – once again – and started in the final match of the season when we became English champions. This phase showed me how important patience, mental strength and trust in your own path really are.
Playing for Arsenal meant more than titles. It meant experiencing a new culture, a different football world and fans whose loyalty and pride deeply impressed me. I learned how powerful identity, tradition and team spirit can be.
Tottenham Hotspur
My time at Tottenham was short, but decisive. After a long injury, it was less about rivalry and more about making a conscious decision – for my body, my career and the chance to be regularly back on the pitch.
The move within London was not an easy step, but the right one. It gave me important playing time at club level and ultimately the best possible preparation for my final matches with the national team at EURO 2022. Looking back, this phase was defined by clarity, personal responsibility and knowing when it is time to make decisions that are truly aligned with yourself.
National Team 2006 – 2022
What we built went far beyond sport. With unity, passion and emotion, we showed what is possible – and it became a powerful signal for our entire country. I still remember how, in the beginning, we were often laughed at. There was little recognition and sometimes we didn’t even have the right equipment.
Then, in 2017, we made history by finishing third at the UEFA Women’s EURO in the Netherlands and helped spark a broader conversation in society. At EURO 2022, we played the opening match at Old Trafford in front of 75,000 people and reached the quarter-finals once again.
As players, we were driven by the determination to prove that even with very limited resources, we could achieve something great. We worked for everything ourselves – nothing was handed to us. Our incredible team spirit was the key.
Representing Austria in 83 international matches and leading my team as captain for nine years remains one of the greatest honours of my career. The development of women’s football since then has been remarkable, and I’m proud to have been one of the many pioneers helping to pave the way.
Beyond Sport
Sport shaped me – but it was never my only horizon. The time after my playing career became a phase of reinvention, where I redefined my role and explored new ways to create impact.
I remain closely connected to football today – no longer on the pitch, but in strategic and media roles: as a board member of the UEFA Football Board, an official FC Bayern Legend, and a TV expert covering matches of the Austrian women’s and men’s national teams.
Today, my focus is on sharing perspectives, creating spaces for growth and passing on responsibility. Whether on stage, in workshops, in the media or through strategic projects – my goal is to empower people and create lasting impact.
