Mackenzie ‘Macca’ Arnold, AKA Australia’s Minister of Defence, has surprised a shit tonne of unsuspecting Matildas fans who’ve ordered some goodies from Amazon ahead of Christmas Day. I am peanut butter and jealous!
I’m not sure about y’all, but I’m still recovering from the football fever the FIFA Women’s World Cup left us with. If you weren’t around during that time, Australia basically united in support of the Matildas during their spectacular run at the WWC from July to August of this year.
It was the wild, wild west for footy fans with many punters jumping on board to support the girls in their journey. I think I literally went into caveman mode during some night shifts at PEDESTRIAN.TV — specifically the Aus V France game resulting in a nail-biting penalty shootout — and it was bonkers.
Anyways, after a fully sick hektik run at the WWC and making a huge impact in women’s sports, Tillies’ goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold has partnered with Amazon Flex not only to give back to her supporters but to shed some light on drivers who take time away from their families to deliver Christmas gifts across Australia.
Earlier this week, as she returned to Australia for the holidays, Macca traded in her keeper gloves for a hi-vis vest and a seat in an Amazon delivery van to help out some folks during the busiest delivery time of the year in Brisbane.
As a Sydneysider, I am stewing with envy… but then I remember who won the NRL Premiership this year.
All jokes aside, imagine the Mackenzie Arnold rocking up to your door to deliver a bunch of goodies you don’t need. Should’ve ordered a darn Ventolin machine after that darn match.
Arnold said that she knew “what it’s like to be busy” in the lead-up to Xmas and that she was extremely happy to lend a helping hand to bustling Amazon Flex drivers.
“I rely heavily on online deliveries when I’m travelling around the world. So, it’s a good feeling to be able to come home to not only make some of these Christmas deliveries possible, but also help out some of the legends who work as Amazon Flex drivers,” Arnold said.
Speaking to PEDESTRIAN.TV, Macca reflected on some of the best reactions she received when delivering the goods.
“Some of the reactions I got were honestly so special and probably my most memorable interactions with fans so far,” she began,
“There were these four girls at the start and I’m sure everyone on the street could hear their screams when they answered the door so yeah, it was really nice.
“There were even these two young boys — it’s just sorta surreal now that even younger boys are looking up to us as girls as well. It’s definitely something that’s sorta surreal these days and really special.”
That being said, it’s without a doubt that the Tillies have truly made an impact on the sporting world, not just for women’s football, but the whole of women’s sports. Just today, the Matildas Olympic qualifying match against Uzbekistan in Melbourne sold out.
“We’ve come from basically when it was nothing and we were lucky to get five, 10,000 in a crowd and now that we’re selling out stadiums — I think it’s maybe nearly the seventh or eighth one in a row we’ve sold out — so yeah, obviously really special for us and it’s great to see it’s not only football but women in sport in general in Australia,” Macca said.
Although they’ve got the world’s attention, the goalkeeping icon said that there are still a few things, such as pay, that need to be addressed in the world of women’s sport.
“I know we’re probably not up to the stage of, you know, equality with the men right now but I think facility-wise, where we play, change rooms, our field, I think it could all be pushed more in a positive direction. But I think we are getting there and we’ve still got a long way to go,” the Tillies star added.
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What’s next for the football star?
For now, Australia’s Minister of Defence says they’re on the hunt for a medal in 2024 after their spectacular run in this year’s Women’s World Cup.
“The Olympics are coming in 2024. Firstly we need to qualify so we’re not looking too far ahead. I think finishing fourth in the last Olympics and the last World Cup, we’re looking forward to competing for a medal next year and see where that takes us,” Macca told PTV.
For now, after sparing some of her time to help Aussie Amazon Flex drivers, Macca will be devouring her mum’s trifle. Her fave!
Image source: Getty Images / Chris Hyde — FIFA/FIFA
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