ULTIMATE ATHLETE
I scored one of Women’s World Cup’s best goals then went on to become an all-time cricket great and Ashes legend
ELLYSE PERRY has established herself as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
The 32-year-old Australian is the ultimate all-rounder, having represented her country at an elite level in both football and cricket.
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She has enjoyed some unforgettable moments throughout her career, from scoring in a 2011 World Cup quarter-final to scoring a double century in test cricket.
Perry is one of the unsung heroes of sport.
Born in the Sydney suburb of Wahroonga, Australia, Perry quickly became immersed in sport as a youngster.
Throughout her school years, the budding athlete played several sports including: golf, football and cricket as well as athletics.
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But shortly after she turned 16 in 2007, football and cricket took over when she made her Australia debut in both sports within the space of two weeks.
Perry was fast-tracked into the Australian cricket team for a series against New Zealand in the summer of that year, making her the youngest-ever cricketer to represent the country.
Her football debut came in a match against Hong Kong just a matter of days later and she remarkably scored two minutes after entering the pitch.
In 2011, she was named in the Australia squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany, making her first appearance in a group game against Norway and becoming the first-ever player to appear in both ICC and FIFA World Cups.
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To cap off her impressive tournament, she scored a world-class goal against Sweden at the quarter-final stage, firing the ball into the top corner from 25-yards out.
Many people questioned if Perry would be able to continue juggling two sports, including the chief executive of her football club, Canberra United.
Heather Reid gave her an ultimatum - football or cricket.
However, Perry immediately took matters into her own hands by seeking a transfer to Sydney FC, where head coach Alen Stajcic allowed her to continue playing cricket alongside football.
But with women's sport continuing to evolve, one eventually had to give as in 2018 the defender stopped playing professional football to pursue a full-time career in cricket.
In an interview with The Roar, she said: "Essentially, both sports have grown so much and developed so much in the last couple of years that they really demand people to be full-time professional athletes.
"I ended up in cricket and haven't played any football recently. I truly enjoyed my time playing football."
She has since enjoyed a successful five years solely in cricket, winning six T20 World Cup titles and two Cricket World Cup titles.
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