countrywoman

Watching her fellow countrywomen face violence on Iran's streets has been painful, but also makes her proud - particularly when she sees younger women on the front line of protests.

“How could I feel to watch football when my neighbor, my brother, my countryman and countrywoman are in such a bad situation?”

Much like fellow countrywoman Ezi Magbegor, who was 19 and selected by Seattle in the 2019 draft, Melbourne is staying home for at least a year and playing with the Australian national team this year.

Now unable to go home between tournaments, she said she joined countrywoman Marta Kostyuk at a tennis academy in Italy before coming to France.

Katie is the only Irish rider, and she would like more of her countrywomen to get involved.