Maya Lucia’s Dream Biggie aims to inspire Malta’s next generation

Dream Biggie is more than a project. It is a deeply personal mission for Malta women’s international footballer Maya Lucia.

Created without sponsors or external funding, the initiative has been three years in the making, with Lucia personally saving and working behind the scenes to bring her vision to life.

“There are no sponsors. There is no external support,” Lucia told the Times of Malta.

“This is an idea I had three years ago, and ever since then I have been saving up and working behind the scenes to make it a reality.”

Still only 22, Lucia has already established herself as one of Malta’s key women footballers. A versatile player, she has represented Malta at senior international level while building a career abroad with clubs in Italy, Croatia, Poland and Cyprus.

Last season she joined Apollon Ladies, one of Cyprus’ most successful women’s clubs, helping them win both the Cypriot league title and the Cyprus Cup to complete the domestic double.

The campaign marked another milestone in a career that continues to break new ground for Maltese women’s football, while reinforcing the message at the heart of Dream Biggie – that no dream is too big simply because of where you come from.

For the Malta international, Dream Biggie is her way of giving back to the country that shaped her.

“I wanted to give something back to the Maltese community that has given me so much. It’s a small love letter to Malta,” Lucia explained.

The series, which will be on Lucia’s Facebook, Instagram and TikTok channels, will spotlight everyday heroes – people whose contributions often go unnoticed – and use their stories to inspire others. Alongside these bi-weekly community episodes, Lucia will release motivational episodes in Maltese, centred around ambition, resilience and self-belief.

“The episodes will shine a light on the everyday heroes in Maltese society – the people who are often overlooked,” she explained.

“What connects every person who becomes part of Dream Biggie is one common thread: dreams.”

Lucia believes Malta has developed an unhealthy relationship with ambition, with many young people growing up believing that their aspirations are limited simply because they come from a small island.

“In Malta, I have noticed that sometimes dreaming almost feels like a taboo because we are from a small island and we think we have limitations,” she said. “I want children growing up today to have a different mentality.”

Having played professionally in Italy, Croatia, Poland and, most recently, Cyprus with Apollon Ladies, Lucia says her experiences abroad transformed the way she views success.

“I have realised that children abroad genuinely believe they can achieve anything because they have seen people from their communities succeed. Those success stories become motivation rather than something that feels out of reach.”

By contrast, Lucia recalls facing ridicule when she first shared her own ambitions.

“I remember being laughed at when I said I wanted to become a professional footballer. Years later, the same happened when I said I wanted to model. Today I have modelled internationally in more than six countries.”

For Lucia, that journey reinforced one lesson above all else. “Before the body achieves anything, the mind has to believe it first.”

That philosophy sits at the heart of Dream Biggie. Rather than simply telling inspirational stories, Lucia hopes the series will gradually reshape the way Maltese people think about ambition.

“My goal by the end of the first season is to plant a solid foundation of what it means to dream – and to show how ordinary Maltese people can inspire one another to dream bigger.”

Although the first season has largely been carried by Lucia herself, she sees it only as the beginning.

“This season has been built almost entirely on my shoulders,” she said. “But I’m confident that in the coming seasons I’ll attract the right people, the right support and the right partnerships.”

Ultimately, Lucia hopes Dream Biggie will become a lasting part of Maltese culture.

“I truly believe Dream Biggie can become a reference point for the Maltese people – for children, young people and adults alike. This is only the beginning.”