ELEVENTH
HOUR
IN CONVERSATION WITH
MANJOU WILDE
“@MANJOU.WILDE”
ELEVENTH HOUR by LRI 10 23 showcases individuals in the football realm—those with a distinctive voice, a unique style, and an inspiring presence that transcends the game, leaving a mark in multiple dimensions.
MANJOU WILDE
MANJOU WILDE
1. FC KÖLN
1. FC KÖLN
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
MANJOU WILDE “@MANJOU.WILDE”
Introducing Manjou, a captivating individual whose diverse heritage intertwines beautifully with her roots. Born to a German mother and an Indian father, she stands tall, proudly embracing the fusion of her cultural identities. Her life journey is characterized by a deep sense of self-assurance and inner peace, a testament to her unwavering belief in herself and her principles. With a strong conviction to lead by example, she endeavors to embody the values she holds dear, treasuring each moment as an opportunity to make a positive contribution to the world around her.
Thank you for being an absolute inspiration, Manjou
Is there something football has taught you that life without it never would have? Tell us about it.
MW/ First I’ll say, football has taught me some of my most valuable lessons for life. If I have to pick one out of them all, I feel like football taught me to always focus on the next chance to make things better no matter how bad a situation seems. Nothing in life is able to give you these crazy highs and lows in such a short period of time like football does. One week you win a massive important game, you enjoy the highest forms of satisfaction, you are surrounded by happy faces and an all over good vibe, and the next week you lose, maybe unexpected and it almost feels like the world may end tomorrow. It’s blessing and curse at the same time that you’ll have the next battle some days later already. Sometimes it costs you all your energy to turn those negative emotions into optimism for the next game. On the other hand it’s luxury to get another chance this soon. I know that in life or even other sports if you miss a chance you might have to wait a very long time for the next one to come. Football made me believe I can go through it all, cause it made me go through it all.
MW/ There’s only on thing I do, I wouldn’t say it’s a ritual but I can’t go on the pitch without brushing my teeth. It’s the last thing I do, after I put on cleats and stuff.
Any matchday rituals or superstitions? Last thing you do before you go on the pitch?
Tell us a bit about how you got into football. Was it something you always knew you wanted to pursue?
MW/ Well, I asked myself that question a lot. I play football since I was a 4 year old little girl and never stopped a single day. Til today I have trouble describing what it was that made me fall in love with it. I came to the conclusion that this is how you feel when you truly found your passion. When you have something you love so much that you’d go through fire for it, it really is indescribable. We are all destined for something and I feel so lucky to find mine at such an early age.
MW/ My fav part about this professional athlete life is the unpredictability. Not just every single season has something very own to it, but every day. I kinda love how it never unfolds how you expect it. To always be prepared for every kind of potential outcome and realigning the sails is a very special skill I admire about every pro athlete.
What do you enjoy most about being a professional athlete?
Name a female athlete who inspires you?
MW/ Hard to pick one out of them but I’ll go with Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir. She’s a two time fittest on earth crossfitter. Such an incredible, kind hearted athlete believing in good values. I love when athletes stand for more than their sport. She might not be the record holder in her field but it inspires me when someones way bigger than their craft simply by who they are as a person.
Hometown Bremen or CGN?
MW/ Might sound crazy but whenever I go back to Bremen I feel hundred percent home and whenever I come back to Cologne I feel hundred percent home. I feel blessed I found a second chosen home without losing the feeling my birth place gives me.
MW/ I was lucky to meet some incredible people on my journey but the greatest gift football gave me is my best freiend, my soulmate Vivien Beil. We met in German Nationalteam 15 years ago and shared this crazy game called life ever since. She goes through life with such a bright light, gracefully and always kind, she really is one of my biggest inspirations. How the both of us went through all these ups and downs throughout the years together, never at the same place physically but holding the strongest bond anyway really set the bar for human connections in my life. That means the world to me.
Who is the most inspiring person you have met during your football journey? And why?
Your dad is from India, your Mum from Germany – what influences unite both in you?
MW / One of my fav questions and I don’t get that asked often. I always say I try to unite the best of both cultures since they are very opposing in a lot of ways. There’s definitely a very disciplined structured part inside of me. Someone who’s always on time and likes sticking to a plan. I’d say that was probably my Mum’s influence. The other part of me is more of a spontaneous, welcoming and loving person. I’m always joking that as an Indian you either be a Tech IT nerd or a philosopher and I definitely would describe myself as someone viewing things and events always from a philosophical point of view. I love to question why things in life happen and why we are all here while I’m busy loving all of it. To break it down there’s my «structured always on time mum» inside of me, meeting my «what does being on time even mean, I never heard of the word stress dad». Two worlds colliding and I get to chose whom to pick today.
Favorite fashion piece at the moment?
MW/ I I am definitely in the middle of my glasses era. Any forms and shapes, sunglasses or fake «I’m intellectual» glasses, you name it lol.
MW/ Leading by example. Not a lot of things in this world are able to connect such different people, cultures and beliefs for one cause. There comes a great power with it, us athletes should use to spread the message that sport itself is for everyone. It should be so normal to a level that nobody would question it, same as nobody would question what kind of person exactly is sitting on seat 47 in row 12 block 9 watching a game. This is what sport stands for and if you ask me this is what every individual athlete should stand for, influencing their very own fan bases. When people look up to someone, they’re more open to the beliefs that one carries. No matter if 200 or 2 million watching us, it’s our responsibility to lead by good example. Thats not rebellious nor political, that’s common sense to me.
How can we inspire inclusion in sport?
I think what describes me best is that I am deeply, like very deeply in peace with myself and how I go through life.
I think what describes me best is that I am deeply, like very deeply in peace with myself and how I go through life.
What we love about you Manjou is, that you’re someone who’s just doing you. You have your own style, you have your own vibe and you’re proud of who you are. How would you describe yourself?
MW/ First: thank you! Love hearing that this is how I appear. I think what describes me best is that I am deeply, like very deeply in peace with myself and how I go through life. My curiosity for why I am how I am and who I am led me to a very beautiful and adventurous road of being the best version of myself I could possibly be and trying to become a better person every single day, for me but especially the people around me. That is the foundation for all my beliefs and behavior. The outcome might not be perfect all the time, but it will always be me.
Is there a quote that has made a lasting impression on you?
MW/ If the whole world was blind - how many people would you impress?
MW/ I LOVE books and I’m always reading at least two at the same time. Currently it’s «Atomic Habits» by James Clear and «Barack Obama - A Promised Land. If there’s one book I’d consider a must read it’s «Think and Grow Rich» by by Napoleon Hill.
Which book are you currently reading? And which one is a «Must Read» for you?
Where do you seek inspiration from?
MW/ From life. Living it for 28 years now I can say, there’s inspiration in every single person and thing, no matter how small it may seem. When you’re open for it, there’s a lot to learn and take away from whatever you face or experience in life. To quote my fav athlete of all time: «The world becomes your library» – Kobe Bryant.
One last question Manjou - What are you currently enjoying the most in your life?
MW/ The company. With every day I am part of such a transient business like football I value genuine, lasting bonds more and more. To create core memories with great people, also outside the pitch, became my absolute favorite thing to do the last months. Heavily aware of the fact that you never know how much time you have left at all these nice places with all these wonderful people, we better enjoy every damn minute of it.
FOLLOW HER IF YOU: EMBRACE INCLUSIVITY, CRAVE PHILOSOPHICAL INSIGHTS, APPRECIATE MULTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVES, SEEK INNER PEACE