So often, we’ve seen how sport can bring our nation together; how it can define and inspire us in so many different ways.
While most of us were sleeping in the early hours of Monday morning, a new chapter in Australian sporting history was being carved.
And the name Kyah Simon was suddenly on everybody’s lips.
Born on June 25, 1991, her birthday celebrations this week included scoring the winning goal as the Matildas beat Brazil 1-0 and progressed to the quarter finals of the Women’s World Cup.
To put it into perspective, it is the first time any Australian soccer side has won a knockout match at a FIFA World Cup.
It was an upset of epic proportions and proved once again how Australia, no matter what the sport, thrives when the underdog tag is attached.
What Monday’s win did for women’s sport overall is enormous too.
To have the Matildas all over the papers, trending on Twitter and earning nationwide praise is tremendous for both football and women playing all professional sports who so often struggle to get decent exposure.
Australia take the field again in Canada this weekend and you can guarantee that a few more people will be watching this one, as interest continues to build.
Can Australia go all the way? If they do, it will go down as one of this country’s greatest ever sporting achievements when you consider the enormity of the challenge that has confronted the Matildas.
If they don’t, they’ve still done us exceptionally proud and done more for women’s sport than they probably realise.
Go the Matildas!
Originally published in The Western Weekender