Sam Kerr, widely recognized as one of the top female soccer players globally, extends her impact beyond the field. Who are the parents responsible for raising this exceptional athlete?
The talented forward has been fortunate to be born into a family of athletes.
Her parents, Roger Alan Kerr and her brother, Daniel Kerr, both have a background in Australian football.
The Kerr family’s athletic prowess extends beyond sports, as they have successfully raised Sam Kerr to be a resilient and compassionate individual.
She strongly advocates for gender equality within the realm of sports, showcasing her unwavering dedication.
Throughout her career, Sam Kerr has played for various clubs, including Chelsea FC, Perth Glory, Sydney FC, and the Chicago Red Stars.
She made her debut at the age of 15 for Perth Glory in the 2009 Women’s League and has since continued to grow and excel.
Her achievements include winning the W-League Championships in 2012-13 and claiming the FA Women’s Super League title four times between 2019 and 2023.
Moreover, she is representing the Australian women’s national soccer team since 2009 (at 15 years old).
Sam Kerr made her FIFA World Cup debut in 2011, which followed her World Cup caps in the 2015 World Cup & the 2019 World Cup; in the latter, she scored five goals.
The 2023 Women’s FIFA World Cup is her fourth appearance. Fans were expecting to see her on fire from the start, but a calf injury sidelined her from the first three games of the competition.
In her absence, Mary Fowler, Emily van Egmond, and Caitlin Foord are leading the line for the national team.
Who Are Sam Kerr Parents?
Sam Kerr was born to Roger Alan Kerr and Roxanne Kerr on September 10, 1993. She also has a sibling named Daniel Kerr.
Her father, Roger, was involved in the Australian Football League, playing for the East Fremantle and Perth teams.
He achieved success by winning the 1985 championship with East Fremantle and later went on to coach Claremont in the West Australian Football League.
In addition, Sam Kerr’s grandfather was a featherweight boxer, and her grandmother was a basketball player.
While Roxanne herself didn’t participate in sports, she came from a family with a sporting background.
Notably, both Sam’s father and uncle were professional footballers in the West Australian Football League.
Sam’s brother, Daniel Kerr, also had a passion for sports. Following in the family’s footsteps, he played Australian football.
He excelled as a hard-running inside midfielder for the West Coast Eagles, playing 220 games from 2001 to 2013 and scoring 122 goals throughout his career.
Furthermore, Kerr even represented the national teams on two occasions.
Talking about her family, the forward is also in a relationship with fellow footballer Kristie Mewis. Moreover, Mewis currently plays for Gotham FC in the USA.
Why Did Sam Kerr Not Play Australian Football, Like Her Family?
Despite coming from a family where Australian football was the sport of choice, Sam Kerr did not pursue the same path.
While she initially had an interest in Australian football, circumstances prevented her from pursuing it further.
In her own words, Sam once expressed that she started playing soccer at the age of 12, before which her focus had been solely on Australian football.
As a child, she didn’t have a soccer ball around the house and actually disliked the sport during that time.
Sam Kerr’s transition to soccer came about due to gender restrictions that limited her opportunities in Australian football.
However, once she made the switch, her journey in soccer began, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Ethnicity And Origin
The forward was born in the coastal regions of Western Australia, an area where the majority of the population consists of Aboriginal people.
Similarly, Sam Kerr herself identifies as Aboriginal and belongs to the indigenous community.
Her father has Anglo-Indian heritage, while her mother has Filipino roots. This indicates a diverse ethnic background within her family.
Within her ancestry, her grandfather has English roots, and her grandmother has Indian heritage, further contributing to the mix of ethnic backgrounds in her lineage.
Sam Kerr takes great pride in her origins and ethnic background.
She has openly expressed her support for her indigenous heritage by displaying an Indigenous flag during a match at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Regarding her religious beliefs, Sam Kerr has not publicly disclosed any specific religious affiliations or personal beliefs.
Is Sam Kerr Indian?
Sam Kerr, while not of Indian origin, does possess Indian heritage within her ancestral lineage.
Her father, who is of Anglo-Indian background, was born in Kolkata to a father of English descent and an Indian mother.
Subsequently, her father’s family relocated to Australia and obtained permanent citizenship there.
As a result, it can be concluded that Sam Kerr has partial Indian ancestry on her paternal side. Additionally, her mother, a White Australian, has Filipino roots.
It’s important to note that while Sam Kerr’s mother, Roxanne, and her predecessors are Australian natives, her connection to the white ethnicity is more pronounced.
The combination of her parents’ nationalities and ancestral heritage creates a unique blend, defining Sam Kerr, the Matildas player, as having a mixed nationality.
