Gabriella (aka ‘G’) Funk is a very busy woman these days, pursuing three passions simultaneously:

• Soccer: Funk is a leader and playmaking midfielder on the highly regarded NYU women’s soccer team, for which she will play her final season this fall as a grad student,

• Speaking Truth to Power: As a politics and journalism major, she is learning how to report on a variety of major issues,

• Climate Action: A newly minted EcoAthletes Champion, Funk has done double duty by driving our growing social media presence during the last spring semester.

“G added value as an EcoAthletes Champion basically from Day 1 as our social media manager,” shared EcoAthletes CEO and founder Lew Blaustein. “I’ve seen tangible, strategic growth in her since she joined our movement in January and this is just the start of her #ClimateComeback journey!”

Her soccer journey started at the tender age of two in her hometown of Fremont, California in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“My older siblings all played sports and so did I,” Funk recalled. “The only sport I was good at was soccer and I loved it, loved being on the pitch as far back as I can remember. Nearby Pleasanton is the hub of youth soccer in our area, and I played with the Pleasanton Rage with the same girls from age five, six years old through high school, which was an incredible gift.”

She started out as an attacking midfielder and has continued in that pivotal ‘number 10’ role since then. “Attacking mid is a leadership position, kind of in the same way that a point guard is in basketball,” Funk noted. “Being the on-pitch leader came naturally; I get to be helpful to everyone on the pitch, being central to both the attack and defense. Attacking mid is fun and it brings out the best in me as a competitor.”

Her competitiveness, aptitude and talent caught the attention of college recruiters as a sophomore. To a non-athlete, that could seem exciting and glamorous. For Funk, there was some of that…as well as a great deal of stress.

“I played in several recruiting showcases as a sophomore and a lot of pressure went with that,” she acknowledged. “I wanted to go D-I and even though I peaked on the pitch during my junior and senior years of high school, I didn’t end up getting an offer. That was disappointing.”

Her disappointment led to two related realizations, namely that — 1. There was more to life than soccer, and 2. D-III schools could offer soccer as well as top academics and, importantly, a more balanced lifestyle than most D-I’s. “My mindset flipped, and my eyes opened,” Funk pointed out. “Instead of soccer being the thing, I came to see it as a way to get into a better academic school. I actually Googled ‘Best D-III Women’s Soccer Schools’. NYU and other UAA universities came up. NYU came to see me at a showcase and then I visited and fell in love the minute I arrived. New York City was so different from where I grew up, it would be away from home — no one in my family had ever gone out of state for college before!”

Even though NYU is indeed a Division III school, the women’s soccer team Funk joined in the fall of 2019 was a team on the rise. And that has continued since as her role grew.

“From the beginning, the team was greater than I could’ve imagined,” she offered. “The seniors were incredibly helpful my freshman year, helping me get acclimated academically and socially, as well as with soccer. Sophomore year was of course colored by COVID; I’m so thankful we had the team for connection. I finally was able to take a leadership role in the team as a junior as my play improved, I became more resilient, and I was able to help the newer players. My senior season last fall was the best of them all. We overcame a lot of challenges, especially with injuries, yet we stayed together, kept battling. I love my teammates and I loved the work.”

Funk’s work ethic is equally impressive in the NYU classroom as she double majored in politics (“I want to find a way to make a difference”) and journalism (“I love to write and figured that’s another way to make an impact”). Some of her politics classes touched on climate, which sparked a deeper interest.

Living and going to school in Greenwich Village has also played a big part in Funk’s climate awakening. “Climate action and education is pervasive in our neighborhoods,” she said. “We learn about it everywhere, including in our team. Some teammates are big clothes thrifters. We don’t bring plastic water bottles to practice. And by living in the city, we see sustainability all around us. Instead of driving, we walk, we cycle, we take the subway. All of this focused my attention, energy, and action on climate.”

In addition to becoming an EcoAthletes Champion, Funk has devoted her energies to the organization, by working as EcoAthletes’ social media manager since January. That experience has given her a front row seat for the #ClimateComeback, as well a unique perch from which to influence it.

“Athletes are of course super-influential in general and, by getting to work with and promote the climate actions of my amazing fellow EcoAthletes Champions, I see that influence in a positive way on climate,” she observed. “I also can see how my fellow Champions’ eco-advocacy — and mine — can positively impact millions in the not-too-distant future. I’m really excited to be a part of this movement!”

Funk will have more opportunities to use her influence and voice in the not-too-distant future. Granted an extra year of eligibility because of COVID, her soccer career will have one last hurrah this fall while she pursues a master’s degree in sports business at NYU’s Stern School of Business and the School of Professional Studies.

“I would love to work in the ‘soccer for good’ nonprofit world,” Funk shared. “Using soccer as a way to help girls around the world to improve their health, access to education, and quality of life would be ideal. The impacts of climate change will make doing this harder. On the other hand, if we can encourage these girls to be part of the #ClimateComeback, they can drive climate solutions when they become women.”

You can follow G on Instagram