sport news Mary Fowler opens up about having to live in cars and tents with her big family ... trends now
Matildas superstar Mary Fowler has opened up about her humble beginnings - including sleeping in tents and at times living in a car - and how those hard times paved her way to international football stardom.
The Manchester City winger - who is just 21 - is preparing for her second Olympic Games in Paris come July.
It was a process which began at Trinity Beach in Cairns when Fowler was starting school.
Along with her four siblings, countless hours were spent taking part in a 'mini Olympics', which involved running races, throwing sticks and kicking a football.
'It was really fun [at Trinity Beach],' Fowler recalled.
Matildas superstar Mary Fowler has opened up about her humble beginnings - including sleeping in tents and living in a car - which she believed paved the way to football stardom
Mary Fowler (pictured second on the right, with her family) has four siblings - and spent many nights as a child sleeping in the family car or in tents
Fowler's dad Kevin (right) met his wife Nido when travelling through her village in Papua New Guinea
'After school, we would go down to the beach and that's where we'd spend most of our time.
'We came up with any little challenges and made it a competitive game because there were so many of us.'
With multiple mouths to feed, money wasn't plentiful for the Fowler family.
At times they slept in cars and tents, but Fowler is adamant those tough days help her overcome adversity in life, even if she is now living the dream as a professional footballer.
'It was difficult, but that's something that's been a strength of our family; we take things as they are and kind of make the most of it,' Fowler told Wide World of Sports.
'That's how I've lived my life since then. It's just making the most of what you have and trying to focus on the good. So I think a lot of
