marie claire - WOMEN of the YEAR 2023

marie claire's annual Women of the Year Awards, presented by Kérastase, celebrate awesome women who have inspired, agitated, championed for change, blazed trails and made our hearts soar. Their tireless work, outrageous talents and passionate convictions have left an indelible mark. Meet our incredible winners

There’s something about Mary – and Sam and Hayley. Caitlin, Steph and Cortnee. Ellie, Mackenzie and the rest of the team. Just ask anyone in Australia who fell hard for the Matildas during the FIFA Women’s World Cup. These were the names that we screamed at stadiums and at TV screens and roared in pubs across the country, along with the biggest rallying cry of them all: “Go the Tillies!” Even those who don’t usually follow women’s football – or any sport – couldn’t help but get caught up in the green-and-gold fever as the national team stormed into the quarter-final against France. In a heart-stopping penalty shootout, the Matildas defeated France 7-6 in the longest shootout in World Cup history. “I get goosebumps just thinking about it,” Mary Fowler tells Marie Claire on the set of her cover shoot. “When I think about it now, it feels like a dream. That moment was such an adrenaline rush.” While Australia ultimately finished a very respectable fourth (the best result by any Australian football team in a World Cup) their impact on the nation was epic. Not only did they smash attendance records and TV audience figures, they also shifted the dial on outdated attitudes about women’s sport. Representing her team for marie claire’s Women of the Year Awards, Fowler reflects on what they achieved: “It’s hard to put into words the legacy we’ve left behind. I think it’s really special that we can get recognised as a team for the work we did and the journey we’ve had together.”