“We talked on a Friday, and then on Monday she came up to me and said, ‘Okay, I’m a goalkeeper now.’” That’s how Marco Cornez recalled the moment when Christiane Endler decided to switch from the opponent’s box to between the posts. Until then, Tiane had been a forward and stood out for her powerful left foot. Cornez saw in her height, agility, and technique exceptional qualities for another position.

She was 16 when she made that decision. A year later, she was a starter for Chile at the U-20 World Cup. Since then, her career has taken her to Colo-Colo and Europe, culminating in a Champions League title with Olympique Lyonnais.

But her story was also written off the field. Endler grew up at a time when Chilean women’s soccer was still finding its footing, and she became one of its leading figures, both on and off the field. Her career helped demonstrate that female talent could also take the biggest stages in world soccer.

The girl who wanted to score goals ended up protecting her goal. From there, she defended Chile, became one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and—without even meaning to that Friday—ended up changing the place women held on our field as well. Because some decisions don’t just change a life: they make room for those who come after.

Source: La Tercera

We are Christiane Endler.
We are Chile.