EXCLUSIVE Lia Lewis turned her back on a career in dancing to become a freestyle footballer - she now travels the world showcasing her skills on social media
Lia Lewis is a freestyle footballer
"What's so amazing about freestyle is you can literally do it anywhere - all you need is a ball... you don't even need shoes!"
Lia Lewis, 26, is something of a social media sensation - boasting more than one million followers on Instagram. Her fame comes from sharing freestyle football videos - despite not even so much thinking about kicking a ball before the covid pandemic struck.
"I was a dancer for 18 years, and I always thought I was going to be a professional dancer," Lia explained to Daily Star Sport. "I got the diploma, finished my three year degree... And I decided to quit."
It was 2018, and Lia was swept up in World Cup fever, with Gareth Southgate's England side thrilling the country with their unexpected run to the semi-finals. Lia added: "It was a bit of a mad decision [to take up freestyle football] to be honest!"
But Lia isn't just one of the best freestyle footballers on the planet - she is the best, earning that right when she was crowned the Red Bull Street Style Freestyle Football World Champion in 2021.
It's been a meteoric rise for the girl who admitted she didn't know what to do after turning her back on dancing. "I think I got there at the right time during lockdown," Lia admitted. "Because social media wasn't really big, big back then. So I think I got a bit lucky with timing!"
Lia's skyrocket in popularity has led to the young star showcasing her skills around the world: "I've done lots of freestyling at a beach or just even in Maldives, I was barefoot doing tricks on the deck, and having a beautiful view of the ocean and the sharks.
"It's incredible. So the good thing with freestyle is you can literally do it anywhere, as long as you have a ball. That's what I kind of show on Instagram is like the freedom of it, I suppose."
Lia Lewis has over 1million followers on social media
Lia's latest trip was to the Maldives, where she was housed at the stylish Kandima resort. She shared clips of mind-boggling tricks in front of a setting sun on a shimmering beach.
"I find it quite easy, because it's like, so for me, football is really hard. I don't understand how people play football. But I understand how freestyle is and I understand how to learn it," she added.
"I don't think many other islands [on the Maldives] have football pitches on it.
"So that was pretty incredible. We would either be filming that the pitch, you know, there's lovely palm trees in the background, the sun, obviously. So that looks stunning."
Lia Lewis' last trip took her to the Maldives
A quick look at Lia's Instagram reveals a number of picturesque locations around the globe. But there's one place she has set her eyes on - and it's out of this world, literally.
"I've been thinking the moon... I did a project last year with the Institution of Engineering and Technology. And they actually have a project to be playing, I think in 30 years, to play football on the moon.
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