Érika Cristiano dos Santos
Érika Cristiano dos Santos, better known by her stage name Érika, is a household name in Brazil. She is a professional soccer player with the Brazilian team. Because of the way she led them, they came away from the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 with two silver medals. In addition to her impressive athleticism, she is a staunch supporter of equal opportunity for women in competition, both in the realm of sports and in society as a whole.
She was one of the hundreds of female players who recently signed an open letter criticising the country’s investment in men’s football and the lack of opportunity for women in the sport. The letter was written to address the lack of opportunity for women to participate in football. The reason for the letter’s writing was to respond to the limited chances available to women in the sport.