Afghanistan Earthquake Relief
Tags：
Evelyn’s sporting career was not easy. She lived with her grandfather in a rural area for a long time because her mother migrated to another city to look for work and meet the needs of Evelyn and her two siblings. This situation forced the girl to be responsible for housework and combine it with school, catechism and sports practices.
At eight years old, Evelyn had her first contact with World Vision Ecuador when she became a sponsored child. She was able to receive support for transportation to her training sessions and take part in a camp on children’s rights, as well as various training and development that involved her family and community.
To attend her team’s training, Evelyn had to get up at 4 am. Many times she did not even have breakfast and arrived just in time. Those were her first steps into the professional league. When she was 12 years old, Evelyn made world headlines when the Guinness World Record recognised her as the youngest woman on the planet to play in a professional football league match. “I felt happy and amazed because I had not heard of that recognition before. After I understood what it meant, I was very happy. I realised that all the effort I put in was beginning to bear fruit,” says Evelyn.
At 14, the talented midfielder was recruited by a team in the Ecuadorian Women’s Super League. Since then she has also been called up to the under-20 national team, so some weekends have been dedicated to intense double training sessions.
“I always wanted to achieve a high place in football, so that they know that women achieve everything we set out to do and that nothing is exclusive to men or women,” says Evelyn. It is her hope to encourage other girls to pursue their dreams, just as she is doing now.
A Female Footballer Who Shines with Her Own Light
At the young age of three, Evelyn showed the potential to become a football player. Her uncle, a football coach, discovered her talent and encouraged her to develop it. “The girl was never afraid to play; despite the kicks and being hit with the ball, she entered the field with everything,” says her uncle Darwin. “People told me that football is only for boys, that I should go play with dolls, but I never liked them and kept playing football,” says Evelyn.Evelyn’s sporting career was not easy. She lived with her grandfather in a rural area for a long time because her mother migrated to another city to look for work and meet the needs of Evelyn and her two siblings. This situation forced the girl to be responsible for housework and combine it with school, catechism and sports practices.
At eight years old, Evelyn had her first contact with World Vision Ecuador when she became a sponsored child. She was able to receive support for transportation to her training sessions and take part in a camp on children’s rights, as well as various training and development that involved her family and community.
To attend her team’s training, Evelyn had to get up at 4 am. Many times she did not even have breakfast and arrived just in time. Those were her first steps into the professional league. When she was 12 years old, Evelyn made world headlines when the Guinness World Record recognised her as the youngest woman on the planet to play in a professional football league match. “I felt happy and amazed because I had not heard of that recognition before. After I understood what it meant, I was very happy. I realised that all the effort I put in was beginning to bear fruit,” says Evelyn.
At 14, the talented midfielder was recruited by a team in the Ecuadorian Women’s Super League. Since then she has also been called up to the under-20 national team, so some weekends have been dedicated to intense double training sessions.
“I always wanted to achieve a high place in football, so that they know that women achieve everything we set out to do and that nothing is exclusive to men or women,” says Evelyn. It is her hope to encourage other girls to pursue their dreams, just as she is doing now.
