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Rediff.com  » Getahead » WAGS to riches: The 10 inspiring women superstars
This article was first published 10 years ago

WAGS to riches: The 10 inspiring women superstars

Last updated on: June 27, 2014 23:07 IST

Image: Victoria Beckham
Photographs: Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images Courtesy Yourstory.com

These wives and girlfriends of sports icons are a lethal combination of beauty with brains -- and they are super successful in their respective fields.

Find out who they are and why their success stories are so inspiring...

With the World Cup of 'The Beautiful Game' underway, there is a lot of excitement in the air with anxious Indian fans overdosing on caffeine to witness matches at odd hours and making last minute changes to their fantasy league squads.

While all the attention is on the field, there is a lot of action happening along the sidelines too.

If you look up the term 'WAGs i.e. 'Wives and Girlfriends' in the Oxford dictionary, it says: "A wife or girlfriend of a sports player, typically characterised as having a high media profile and a glamorous lifestyle."

We'd slightly disagree with the description here because there are plenty of wives and girlfriends of sportsmen who have the lethal combination of beauty with brains.

We bring you a list of WAGs who are successful business women, top ranking journalists, actresses, models and even chart-topping singers. Mind you, most of these women are superstars in their own right.

Victoria Beckham

Victoria or 'Posh' Beckham' is a successful businesswoman, fashion designer, model and singer and is married to former England captain David Beckham.

As a design entrepreneur, she's designed a line of jeans for Rock & Republic besides starting her own denim brand -- dVb (David and Victoria Beckham) style.

Posh has her own range of sunglasses and fragrance, titled 'Intimately Beckham' which is popular both in the US and UK.

Through her association with the Japanese store Samantha Thavasa and Shiatzy Chen, she has produced a range of handbags and jewellery 

The supermodel who started her career with the popular girl-band Spice Girls Beckham has two best-selling books to her credit -- an autobiography and a fashion guide.

The Beckham couple have four children and as a brand are together worth about $54 million.

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Shakira

Image: Shakira
Photographs: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

The award winning singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer is also a philanthropist.

Currently dating Spain's Gerard Pique's partner, the pop star has a total of 10 Grammy awards, including two US awards and eight Latin awards to her credit.

She is well known for her hits such as Whenever, Wherever, Hips Don’t Lie, Waka Waka to name a few.

In 2008, Forbes magazine ranked her as the fourth highest earning woman in music.

She currently serves as the Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and is the founder of Barefoot Foundation, a non-profit devoted towards making education universally available.

She had also been nominated for one of the top charitable awards in the world -- the Prince of Asturias Concord Award, which recognises philanthropists.

The international entertainer's estimated worth is over $220 million.

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Leah Totton

Image: Leah Totton
Photographs: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images for Beefeater Grill

Dr Leah Totton, a doctor by profession is also the winner of the ninth edition of the The Apprentice, a reality game show in the UK.

A graduate from the University of East Angila, Totton holds a distinction in Bachelor of Surgery, MBBS.

She is currently in the process of opening a chain of cosmetic clinics across the UK, with the 250,000 pound investment she received from winning The Apprentice and plans to partner with business and media magnate Lord Sugar.

She aims to provide a variety of highly effective skin care and beauty treatments, including chemical peels, anti-wrinkle procedures, and the revolutionary 3D Lipomed treatments through her clinics.

She is in a relationship with England's goalkeeper Fraser Forster, but did not go to Brazil to support Fraser as she was busy with her own venture.

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Coleen Rooney

Image: Coleen Rooney
Photographs: Danny Martindale/Getty Images

The English television presenter, columnist and celebrity product endorser started dating Rooney when they were just 16.

She had her own column in the celebrity magazine Closer entitled 'Welcome to My World', for which she earned up to £10,000.

She left Closer in 2008 and went on to write a weekly column for OK! magazine.

Rooney's autobiography, Welcome to My World, was released in March 2007.

She also struck a deal with the retail and gambling company Littlewoods -- a role she felt was a perfect match as it allowed her to select and wear her favourite styles.

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Pilar Rubio

Image: Pilar Rubio
Photographs: Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images

Rubio is in a relationship with the Spanish footballer of Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos.

In April this year, she gave birth to their son Sergio Ramos Rubio.

She studied Economics in college, but did not go on to complete the degree.

In 2007, she bagged the award for the best television reporter.

She has modelled in several men's magazines, and has also appeared in Spanish feature films. 

She has also appeared in several commercials on television for Amstel , Canal+ and Hyundai and been rated among the sexiest women by Spanish magazine FHM.

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Mandy Capristo

Image: Mandy Capristo
Photographs: Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images

The German singer, songwriter, dancer, and model is the girlfriend of Germany's Mesut Ozil.

The founding member of the girl band Monrose has released four studio albums and eleven singles.

After the band went kaput in 2011, Capristo launched her solo career as a singer and later collaborated with singer Peter Maffay on his Tabaluga musical track.

She recorded her first solo album Grace in 2012 and also participated in the fifth season of Let's Dance the same year.

Her first solo single, The Way I Like It, was released in April 2012.

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Ann-Kathrin Brommel

Image: Ann-Kathrin Brommel
Photographs: Courtesy annkathrinbrommel.com

The 25-year-old popular German model, singer and blogger is the girlfriend of German soccer star Mario Gotze.

In 2012, she appeared in the seventh series of Germany's Next Top Model post which she bagged numerous magazine shoots and appearances in magazines such as FHM.

Her first single This Is Me released in 2010 was hugely popular.

In October 2011, she followed it up with her second song Body Language.

The German beauty is passionate about music, dancing, cooking and travelling.

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Yolanthe Sneijder-Cabau

Image: Yolanthe Sneijder-Cabau
Photographs: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

The Spanish-Dutch actress, television host and entrepreneur is married to Wesley Sneijder of Netherlands.

Yolanthe Sneijder-Cabau is the co-founder and ambassador of Stop Kindermisbruik, a foundation that fights against child sex abuse in developing countries.

The entrepreneur has also appeared in several Dutch productions like Snowfever and Costa!.

From 2005 to 2008, she had a recurring role in the Dutch soap opera Onderweg naar morgen.

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Christine Bleakley

Image: Christine Bleakley
Photographs: Tim Whitby/Getty Images

The accomplished television presenter, best known for her work with ITV, is married to England's, Frank Lampard.

She was hired on a four-year contract with ITV worth £4 million.

She's also worked with BBC Northern Ireland where she hosted a wide variety of shows.

The enterprising presenter was last seen hosting the British daytime show This Programme on ITV in 2014.

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Alex Gerrard

Image: Alex Gerrard
Photographs: Phil Noble / Reuters

The former English model, fashion columnist and entrepreneur is married to English footballer Steven Gerrard.

Alex is a fragrance designer -- she has her own fragrance line 'Alex' -- and also writes columns for The Mirror.

Despite the stereotypes and hardships that are forced upon them by society, these women continued to achieve their dreams