Romania is where my story began; Malta is where I have built my family life and career. I am an entrepreneur helping running a family business, happily married to my husband, Johann, together we raise our beloved son Gianni.

Some readers may know me through pageantry. Winning the Classique category of Mrs. European Nations 2025 pageant gave me the opportunity to represent Malta and the values of women in maturity. Today, I am taking on a different responsibility, within a community that has been part of my life for ten years: Lady Captain of the Royal Malta Golf Club.

My husband introduced me to golf about ten years ago. If someone had told me then that I would one day become Lady Captain, I would probably have laughed. It certainly wasn’t love at first shot!

In the beginning, golf had to work quite hard to win me over. There were moments when I wondered why I was making life so difficult for myself. You would think hitting a little white ball couldn’t be that complicated. Then you try it.

Gradually, I became fascinated by the technique, the strategy and the discipline. And when a shot I had been practising finally worked, it felt wonderful. It still does. Ten years later, here I am. So I suppose golf won!

What people don’t always see is how much of the game happens in your mind. Golf asks you to be patient, concentrate and accept that you won’t get everything right. Every round is different. There is time outdoors, time with people and time with yourself. I love that combination.

Over the years, the Royal Malta Golf Club has become a second home to me. It was founded in 1888, and its royal connection comes through Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, one of its founding members. It belongs to a select international circle of clubs with that heritage.

There is a formal process for joining, with applications supported by two qualifying members or two reliable references. You become part of an established community, with traditions and standards that members help to preserve.

But what makes the club special to me is the life within it.

There is coffee before a round, conversations about family, celebrations and, of course, very serious discussions about a golf competition! Women who have been members for years play alongside those who are newer. You get to know people in a way that feels very natural.

Spending several hours together on a course tells you quite a lot about someone. You see how she reacts when a shot goes wrong, whether she can laugh at herself and how she encourages another player through a difficult moment.

Some of my friendships began simply through playing together. Over time, they became friendships outside the club, and I value them very much. I particularly enjoy being with women from different generations. We have different experiences, but out on the course we share the same enjoyment of the game. Age becomes much less important.

That is why becoming Lady Captain felt emotional. I had watched other women take on the role and appreciated how much work happened behind the scenes. When my turn came, I felt proud, grateful and, honestly, a little nervous. I think nerves are healthy when something really matters to you.

The title is probably the easiest part!

Being captain means listening, organising, communicating and sometimes making difficult decisions. It means representing the Ladies’ Section and working closely with the committee and the club. I want members to know they can come to me. I don’t see this as something I should do alone. A strong team makes a strong year.

I like people to feel comfortable and welcome. At the same time, when you accept responsibility, you have to be prepared to make decisions.

The younger Maria would probably have worried much more about whether everyone agreed with her. I used to question myself a lot. Today, I have learned to listen to different opinions and then trust my own judgement.

That doesn’t mean I always get it right. I certainly don’t! But I no longer believe that making a mistake means I am not capable. I can learn, adjust and move forward.

Life has taught me that I don’t need to be the loudest person in the room to have a voice. I can be kind and approachable and still be clear about what I believe.

Of course, that can feel more personal when a decision affects people you consider friends. For me, friendship should never prevent an honest conversation. People may not agree with a decision, but I want them to feel they have been heard and that we have considered it properly.

We can have different opinions and still respect each other afterwards. Having a team matters here, too. We can draw on each other’s experience and think about what is best for the club. And I would like us to have some fun along the way. Golf is important, but we don’t have to take ourselves too seriously!

One thing I would love to do is encourage more young people to discover the game. Golf teaches patience, concentration and honesty, but I know it can look intimidating from the outside. If we introduce a few young people to it and they fall in love with it, I will be delighted. Perhaps one day one of them will be sitting here being interviewed as captain.

I feel just as strongly about welcoming a woman who arrives on her own, curious about golf but unsure whether she belongs.

I would tell her that every golfer was once the person who didn’t know what she was doing. The rules, etiquette and language can seem like a lot at first. They become familiar with time. What matters is being curious and willing to keep trying.

And I would tell her not to compare her beginning with somebody else’s tenth or twentieth year.