From the greeny and charming central valley town of Grecia,
Costa Rica, where a keen little girl once dreamed about playing a soccer game acclaimed by a crowd, a young woman, Daniela Solera, jumps up to the field of the Savon Sanomat Areena, Finland, to take her position as goalkeeper. She knows that this is not the end of the road, and that her self-determination led her to this place, right in the middle of dreams come true and goals to come. Soccer player Daniela Solera was born on July 27th, 1997, in Grecia, Alajuela. She describes herself as a friendly and easygoing toddler during school years. At home, values such as hard work and responsibility were constantly instilled, so she tried to give the best and accomplish her objectives whether in school or at home. These personality traits and values let her a vivid and lasting impression, so she always remembers them as part of the essential education that she received during her early years. Her mother is the person who has greatly influenced her life, especially helping her to build her temper and character. Daniela states that her mother is the kind of person who sets a goal and never rests until she completely reaches it. This strong determination and unflinching personality has had a meaningful impact on Daniela’s life, and due to the nature of her own occupation, traveling to other countries, living in different cities, and experiencing dissimilar cultures represent circumstances that can easily become grievous hindrances for hesitating personalities. Although since childhood she was very fond of soccer, her brothers strongly molded her liking for this sport, and her outstanding performance in this activity led her to university, where she relied on a sport scholarship to finish her high education process. In 2016, she debuted professionally playing for Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, in Costa Rica. During the following year, due to her striking performance during the sport season, she was aggressively recruited to play in a Colombian soccer team called Atlético Huila, but Colombia was not her final destination, and after two seasons, she landed in Finland to join the KuPS Kuopio, a soccer team of the Premier League. 2018 was a magnificent year for Daniela. She took part in the Concacaf Women’s Championship, representing the Selección Nacional de Costa Rica, but her greatest achievement came when she and her team won the Copa Libertadores, a high-level tournament in which the best soccer teams of South America compete. Moreover, she became the first Costa Rican player either man or woman to win this competition. This tenacious 22-year-old woman would not change anything about her life even if she had the opportunity to do it. However, she has greater expectations for her future, such as earning enough money to support her mother, and playing in Australia, which is probably the most competitive women’s league. Among child longings and realistic dreams, Daniela Solera, a self-proclaimed family lover, has stated that wants to be remembered as a courageous woman whose carrying family and unfailing love make her happy. By Marilyn Leitón Ramírez.