Grace Hayden slams critics who’ve questioned her success as the daughter of cricket legend Matthew Hayden
Grace Hayden says she has consistently battled critics who say she has only achieved what she has because of her famous surname.
Sports reporter and model Grace Hayden has defended her work ethic after haters claimed her success is because her father is an Australian cricketing great.
The 24-year-old, the daughter of Matthew Hayden, has made a name for herself working in cricket, covering the Big Bash League and IPL in India. She has also covered motor sports, tennis, and in July joined Fox League as sideline reporter for the NRL.
However, Hayden said she has consistently battled critics who say she has only achieved what she has because of her famous surname.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“People want to throw in whatever they want to throw at me. But I definitely know I do the work. I do the hard yards, and it’s a lot of research,” Hayden told Stellar.
“I came into this life being Matthew Hayden’s daughter.
“I definitely wrestled with it when I was younger, when people would say I only made a sports team because I was ‘Matthew Hayden’s daughter’ or I only did something because I was ‘Matthew Hayden’s daughter’.
“But I got really good advice from someone who said, ‘You need to learn to embrace that, because you are proud of it.’
“And at the end of the day, I’m so proud of my dad and mum, for what they’ve achieved together.”
Hayden said her father, who played 103 Test matches for Australia, has taught her many life lessons, including the importance of surrounding herself with the right people.
One of those people is her “amazing partner”, business executive boyfriend Wilson Statham, whom she lives with on a farm in the northern NSW town of Moree.
“Your friends know who you are, your family knows who you are, your partner knows who you are,” she said.
“And they’re going to tell you hard things, they’re going to tell you great things. But they know you to your core and I’ve always sort of stuck by that. My partner is one of those people for me.”
Hayden continues to build her impressive sporting resume having recently being recruited as the ambassador for the Australian Turf Club’s Sydney Everest Carnival.
Originally published on PerthNow
