Fierce Girls

When Sam Kerr was a kid she spent hours upon hours kicking a soccer ball in the back yard of her suburban Perth house, dreaming of becoming an international football superstar. But how does an average kid from Australia make it big on the international stage? Practice. And more practice. Sam did so much practice she became the youngest person to ever represent Australia in football.Written and narrated by nine-year-old Maia Kelly.

What would you do if your town was flooded? Newspaper boss Naomi Moran didn't just chase the story, she made headlines herself! She rallied together a workforce to keep her community sheltered and fed after some major floods. But this was nothing new for Naomi, she's been giving back her whole life.Written and narrated by 10-year-old Anouk Hockings.

When her grandmother lost her life to diabetes, Allirra was determined not to let the same thing happen to her. She picked up her running shoes and hit the pavement. While she started running to get healthy, she quickly set her sights on the ultimate challenge — becoming the first Indigenous woman to finish all six of the World Marathon Majors.Narrated by 14-year-old Maddie Dixon.

When Marita was little, she thought robots could change the world, or at least do the dishes for her! But not many other girls thought the same. So, Marita started Robogals, a club to show girls they could work in robotics when they grew up. It started a global revolution.Written and narrated by 11-year-old Yashica Chauhan.

Scrolling on social media might make you feel like you need to have the perfect body, and Taryn Brumfitt was sick of the pressure! After becoming a champion bodybuilder didn't make her love her body, she decided to change the conversation about body image online and help every person to embrace every body at every size.Written and narrated by 13-year-old Josie Dicker.

Growing up Chinese Australian under the White Australia Policy was tough, but Mary wouldn't be underestimated. She became the first-known Chinese Australian to get a university degree and used her smarts to speak up for Chinese migrant families who were being kept apart by the government. She moved to China to work as a journalist and diplomat, but when she wanted to come back to Australia after World War 2, she wasn't allowed to bring her family back home. This wasn't good enough, so she pushed for all people to be able to call Australia home.Written and narrated by 10-year-old Meike Chow.

Faith Thomas grew up throwing rocks at galahs. She'd only been playing proper cricket for a couple of weeks before she was picked to represent South Australia. Her phenomenal stats made headlines. So, it was no great surprise when Faith got called up to represent Australia against England in Brisbane. When she stepped onto the Gabba cricket ground, she became the first Aboriginal person to play on any Australian team… not just cricket. But cricket was just a game to Faith. So, not long after that test, she left sport behind to dedicate herself to saving lives as a nurse.Narrated by cricketer and Muruwari woman, Ashleigh Gardner.Extra narration by Peggy Webber. Thanks to Daniel Browning and Tyson Baird.

Queenie McKenzie grew up on a cattle station, staying away from the grasps of the authorities, who would take Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids like her from their families at will. As she grew up, she solved problems everywhere she saw them. From building schools and teaching kids in her community, to saving a man’s life by repairing his scalp stitch by stitch. But deep down, she wanted to tell the stories of her Country. To preserve their importance.She started painting in her 70s — becoming the first woman in her community to do so — and realised the power of telling stories through art. And once she started, she never stopped.Narrated by Wiradjuri poet and artist Jazz Money.

Mary Ann Bugg was an Aboriginal woman who became a savvy bushranger and accomplice to Captain Thunderbolt. She was the bushranger's spy, riding ahead into towns to check for police. She also used her bush skills to gather and hunt food for the group of bushrangers she rode with. Mary Ann used her first-class education and stunning beauty to fool the troopers and avoid being caught.Narrated by singer-songwriter Thelma Plum.

Daisy Bindi couldn't understand why her boss paid wages to the white workers, but not to her. She was no different to them. And neither were all the other Aboriginal workers who were being treated like slaves. In 1946 Daisy decided enough was enough. She helped lead a three-year strike which won Aboriginal workers fairer pay and better working conditions. Narrated by singer, actor and radio presenter Christine Anu. Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are advised that the following episode of Fierce Girls contains the names of people who have died.

Coleen Shirley Perry had a heart of gold. So when she went to visit her brother in jail, she saw something that few people saw. Instead of seeing baddies, she saw people who needed compassion, and someone to listen to their problems. Soon she was visiting lots of other prisoners. And every time the prison authorities stopped her, or questioned her, she said the same thing: 'I'm his mum.'She became known as Mum Shirl. Word spread about how she could help, and this prominent Wiradjuri woman became a fearless supporter of anyone who needed it. She dedicated her life to helping people with their problems. She helped the homeless, the hungry, those down on their luck, women and many, many children. She established community services for Indigenous Australians and fought for their justice and welfare. And she did it all without ever setting foot in a school.For our Indigenous and Torres Strait islander listeners: this episode contains the depiction of someone who has died.Narrated by lawyer, activist and Wiradjuri and Wailwan woman, Teela Reid

Ever wanted to change the world? Melanie Perkins did — she just needed the right problem to solve. Then it hit her. She tutored university students in graphic design, and they all had the same complaint: the software was too complicated.Melanie knew there must be an easier way. She thought everyone should be able to make beautiful, professional looking images. So, she cleared a space in her mum's living room and got to work. She perfected her pitch, flew to the other side of the world to Silicon Valley, faced a LOT of rejection until, finally, her billion-dollar company Canva was born.Narrated by multi-award-winning STEM journalist and Wiradjuri woman Rae Johnston

Would you willingly put your arm in a shark's mouth? Valerie Taylor did. She was a pioneering shark conservationist who believed sharks are friends, not foes. Valerie thrived in a male dominated world, and even had a brush with Hollywood when she worked on the film Jaws. This fearless, fierce adventurer of the sea had a mission; to change people's attitudes towards sharks. She travelled the world, diving and swimming with sharks and campaigning to protect them.Narrated by Australian champion freediver Amber Bourke.