From being the little girl hanging up posters of her football heroes on her bedroom walls to having her name screamed out by excited fans, Hannah Wilkinson’s dreams of becoming a famous soccer star have definitely come true.
The golden girl of the Football Ferns’ historic win at last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, the now-legendary goal scorer can’t quite believe how things have changed. Not just for her, but also her sport, since Aotearoa hosted the tournament in 2023.
“I know we did something great when someone came up to me and said, ‘Oh my, I know who you are!’” chuckles Hannah, 31, chatting to Woman’s Day from her home in Melbourne, where she’s playing in the Australian A-League Women’s competition.
But while the athlete loves how far the love for female football has come – especially from her early days in her hometown of Whangārei, where she played in boys’ teams – she admits it’s taken her a long time to deal with the mental anguish of not progressing out of pool play at the World Cup, despite being the one to score New Zealand’s only goal against Norway in the opening match.
“Initially, it was tough,” she tells. “We had a goal and we didn’t get there. It was really hard to accept that. But as time has gone on, we’re seeing the impact of having a World Cup here, which is great. Sometimes reconciling the two feelings is hard, but then I think about the amazing phone calls from parents of young kids who have taken up football because of it.”
Hannah’s passion runs deep
Advocacy comes naturally to Hannah, who is now fronting Milo Fantails, a campaign from Milo and NZ Football to encourage more girls into grassroots sport, a cause that’s obviously very close to her heart.
She’s also passionate about representing the LGBTQ+ community within sport and she’s happy to use her own experiences as a proudly gay athlete to fly the flag for equality.
At 18, Hannah discovered her attraction to women. It then took her a few years to fully accept her true self. She met her partner of three years, Katie Martin, in 2021, while COVID was raging across the world.
Then living in Germany, Hannah posted about then-PM Dame Jacinda Ardern’s support for same-sex couples and Queensland government worker Katie, 31, commented.
“We started talking and we haven’t stopped since!” smiles Hannah. “We chatted for about nine months, then I ended up playing in Australia and Katie’s work also brought her to Melbourne at the same time.
“She’s amazing. My training is very physically and mentally demanding, and she’s the most supportive partner. I couldn’t do what I do without her. It requires a lot of patience to be with a professional athlete!”
The pair love their life in Melbourne, where they live with their two white Swiss shepherds, Max and Indy, although Hannah moans, “Man, the weather is absolutely crazy. Yesterday it was 32 degrees and now it’s 12!”
More than just another talented athlete
A talented artist and musician as well as an athlete, Hannah’s much more positive when it comes to talking about Milo Fantails, for which she designed the logo.
“It’s nice to use the art skills,” she says humbly, not mentioning the fact one of her murals features on the side of Eden Park, commemorating the three recent women’s world cups held in NZ – football, rugby and cricket. “When I’m not playing football, I’m mostly at home creating, so it was a real treat to be asked to partner with the programme after making the original logo.
“I’m so stoked. There was nothing like this when I was growing up – and I love that this is all about the girls. When I was younger, it was my goal to be a professional footballer. I was ambitious and tenacious, and nothing was going to dampen that for me, but if there was a programme like this, it would’ve helped me to identify with the notion that women can absolutely have the same opportunities as professional male footballers.
“Here’s hoping we’re able to be role models for the next generation, so they can see themselves represented on the pitch.”
For more info on Milo Fantails, visit nzfootball.co.nz.
