Like most 24-year-old women, Ms Laura Biondo loves shopping and make-up.

But unlike most other women, of any age, she holds the Guinness World Record for four different football stunts for women (Most "Around The World" tricks, most headers, most sole juggles and most shin juggles while seated - all in a minute).

When Ms Biondo visited Singapore for the first time last October to perform at the Tiger Street Football 2013 tournament, she wanted to know which shopping malls to visit.

"Growing up, I spent a lot of time playing football with the boys, but also a lot of time in the shopping malls with the girls," says Ms Biondo, who is also the ambassador for the F3-Freestyle Football Federation.

The Venezuela-born footballer, who lives in Italy, became involved in freestyle football - the art of performing tricks with a football - by accident.

She was 19 and playing for a local club in Verona, en route to becoming a professional football player, when she injured her knee. "I was on the bench because I couldn't play, so I just started trying to juggle on the sidelines. My brother was always doing tricks with the football, but I never really considered trying it," says Ms Biondo, who lives in Verona.

She switched to freestyle football, which was less strenuous on her knees.

Now, she gets to travel around the world to do shows. Her job has taken her to countries such as France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Egypt and Kuwait.

"When I tell people what I do, they sometimes look at me in disbelief," says Ms Biondo, whose father, Roberto, played football for top Italian club Inter Milan in the 1970s. Her mother is a sports physician.

"Many people don't believe that this is something girls can do, simply because the only people they've seen doing football tricks are men such as Ronaldinho and Pele," she says.

As one of the few female freestyle footballers, Ms Biondo hopes that she can inspire more women to try the sport.

She estimates that there are about 100 women worldwide involved in the sport, but few are doing it professionally.

For females who are not convinced that the sport is fun, she says jokingly: "Well, there are lots of guys."

"I don't use my skills to attract guys, but it does get their attention. I get strangers asking me to marry them," says Ms Biondo, who is single.

As part of her job, she spends three hours every day practising her freestyle moves. She also goes to the gym at least five times a week and runs for an hour at least three times a week.

But despite her active lifestyle, Ms Biondo says she is careful about what she eats, especially before competitions. She sticks to a Mediterranean diet, which includes a lot of fruit, vegetables and fish.

"But I have a big issue with chocolate. I simply can't resist it," she says.

HER BAG

I got this in Italy two years ago as a Christmas present for myself. It's from an Italian brand called Carpisa, which is quite famous in Italy. I like simple bags which are not too colourful. It's a really strong bag, so I carry this even to sporting events.

7 THINGS IN HER BAG

1 COIN PURSE

A Japanese freestyle footballer gave this to me when I was in Tokyo two years ago. I often have many coins, so it was a perfect gift.

2 MUA MAKE UP ACADEMY LIPSTICK

I don't like red lipstick because it makes me look too made up, so I stick to pink shades or lip gloss. This is from a British brand which is quite affordable.

3 RAY-BAN AVIATOR SUNGLASSES

I always have them with me even when it's not sunny outside. I like how they flatter my face and are gender-neutral. I'm not that girly, but neither do I want to look like a man.

4 PASSPORT

I have dual-citizenship - Italy and Venezuela. My grandparents are Italian, but my parents and I were born in Venezuela. For this trip, I carried my Italian passport because the other one has expired. I travel almost every month to perform at freestyle football events.

5 ALCATEL MOBILE PHONE

I'm addicted to social media, so I can't live without my phone. I also use it to Skype my family when I'm travelling.

6 LANCOME TRESOR BODY LOTION

This was a gift from one of my best friends and it smells really nice. Even if my skin doesn't feel dry, I like putting this on just to smell good.

7 CANON IXUS CAMERA

I use this mainly to take videos of my travels and performances. In the future, I may need these videos if I want to create a documentary about my experiences.

Get a copy of Urban, The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.