She’s become an integral member of the Westfield Matildas but Chloe Logarzo’s ascension to the national team wasn’t what you might expect.
The talented midfielder lived and breathed football since the age of five, playing and challenging boys any chance she could.
But as she got older and developed a desire to play at a higher level, Logarzo’s somewhat diminutive frame became a stumbling block.
Logarzo was overlooked for representative sides after continually being told she wasn’t ‘strong enough’ or ‘tall enough’ to compete.
But she persevered, continued to work hard and eventually the rewards came with the midfielder selected by the NSWIS in high school.
Logarzo made her W-League debut as a 16-year-old in 2011 with Sydney FC - and she hasn’t looked back.
The 23-year-old is now a regular in the Matildas starting XI and played 90 minutes in last month’s Asian Cup Final loss to Japan.
But the Sydney-born midfielder believes her career wouldn’t have developed if it wasn’t for the support and guidance of her mum, Kim.
“My mum has been the biggest support network for me throughout my career,” Logarzo said.
“I pride myself on saying that my story is a lot different to everyone else and my [career] wouldn’t be where it is if it wasn’t for my mum.
“She was the only one who gave me strength when I didn’t think I had anything else.
“It’s every single training session she’s ever driven me to, all the 5-6am sessions that she’s taken me to for NSWIS…
“Now she follows me throughout the entire world. She’s so proud and I know every time I put my jersey on that it’s not just for me.
“It’s not just me accomplishing going to the Olympics. It’s not just me doing all this. But it’s also us as a family because we went through everything as a family.”
Kim Logarzo admits she is still ‘gobsmacked’ to see her daughter’s success but remains proud of Logarzo’s ability to overcome adversity and achieve her goals.
“I was actually at a game on Sunday watching Chloe play and just sitting there listening to parents and kids saying ‘oh my gosh that’s Chloe Logarzo,” Kim Logarzo said.
“’I want to watch her, I’m staying. Especially because I’m watching her and I’m watching her for free.’
“It goes straight to my heart because I think that’s my daughter that people are actually talking about.
“Some parents have asked the question ‘what support do you give [to kids]’?
“You’ve just got to give all your support no matter what they decide to do. You’ve just always got to be there for them, supporting them [and] keeping them on track.”