That dream demanded even more when she moved clubs to play in England for Reading, travelling a 300-mile round trip from Swansea three times a week after a full day’s work.
The sacrifices paid off when Reading won promotion to the top-tier Women’s Super League (WSL) in 2015 and offered her a life-changing professional deal.
Ten years on, the 32-year-old Southampton forward is set to play a pivotal role for Wales at their first major tournament. Her emotional arrival in Switzerland, seeing the team bus decked with Euro branding, brought tears she fought hard to hold back.
“It hasn’t been easy,” Rowe says. “But I carry all those experiences with me.”
Wales face the Netherlands in their opening Group D game on Saturday, 5 July, 2025 in Lucerne.