- The football star is in Australia ahead of the start of the English season
- She was seen with her boyfriend, superstar Nathan Cleary
Matildas star Mary Fowler showed fans a tattoo with a telling meaning as she joined a teammate for a gym session during their pre-season break in Australia.
The 21-year-old is back in Australia after the national team’s disappointing campaign at the Paris Olympics, where they failed to make it past the group stage thanks to defeats to Germany and the United States, and a huge scare against Zambia.
With her English club Manchester City due to play a pre-season tournament in Australia from August 21 to September 2, the forward has recently been spending quality time with her boyfriend, NRL star Nathan Cleary, but also keeping fit.
Fowler and his partner Matilda Courtney Nevin were photographed earlier this week taking a trip to a gym in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith, close to Cleary’s home.
Dressed in a dark blue crop top and shorts, the City star revealed a small lettering tattoo on her lower back that reads ‘Love by faith, not by sight’.
The message can be read as a variation on the theme “love is more than skin deep,” meaning that affection for someone cannot be based solely on superficial things like their appearance.
The phrase also bears a strong resemblance to “we live by faith, not by sight,” which is a passage from the book of Corinthians in the Bible.
Fowler’s other tattoos do not appear in any of the selfies on his Instagram account.
Mary Fowler is keeping fit on holiday in Australia, hitting the gym in western Sydney this week, not far from her boyfriend Nathan Cleary’s home.
The Matildas star showed her fans a meaningful tattoo on her lower back (pictured) that reads ‘Love by faith, not by sight’.
Fowler was working out with her Matildas teammate Courtney Nevin (pictured together).
Her Australian holiday saw her enjoy a day out at some markets in the Blue Mountains, just west of Sydney, alongside Cleary, who shortly after suffered a shoulder injury that initially led to speculation her season could be over.
However, he no longer needs surgery and is expected to return to the field for the final as Penrith bid to win four straight championships.
The couple enjoyed breakfast at a local cafe and then explored the Glenbrook Rotary Markets, where Nathan tried out a scented candle as they looked relaxed and happy.
Both Fowler and Cleary are well aware of the challenges of injury and the road to recovery.
Fowler has dealt with recurring back and foot problems throughout his young career, while Cleary has a more extensive history with injuries.
Fortunately, his most recent setback affects the shoulder opposite the one he injured in 2021.
The Manchester City star has been spending some time with Cleary (pictured) ahead of his club’s pre-season tournament in Australia, which kicks off on Wednesday.
Mary and Nathan began dating late last year and their relationship was first reported by Daily Mail Australia.
The initial report featured photographs of Mary resting her head on Nathan’s chest as they enjoyed a quiet moment together in a Perth park ahead of one of her Matildas matches.
The couple went public with their relationship in October in Perth and then confirmed their romance on Instagram in January.
In May, NSW’s star scrum-half Nathan was sidelined with a grade two hamstring injury, which ruled him out of the State of Origin series for eight weeks.
During his recovery, Nathan and Mary, 21, took the opportunity to spend some quality time together on a romantic getaway.
Both athletes keep their relationship very private. Nathan has admitted that the attention his private life has received has been unexpected.
“Obviously, it’s different than when I was young and in first grade and people were analyzing my game. I didn’t have that before,” he shared earlier this year.