Mary Fowler shows off tattoo with a very revealing meaning as she hits the gym with a Matildas teammate

Matildas star Mary Fowler has given fans a look at a tattoo with a telling meaning as she joined a teammate for a gym session during her preseason holiday in Australia.

The 21-year-old is back down under after the national team’s disappointing Paris Olympics campaign, which saw them fail to progress past the pool stage thanks to losses to Germany and the USA, and an almighty scare against Zambia.

With her English team Manchester City due to play in a pre-season tournament in Australia from August 21 to September 2, the forward has been spending some quality time with her NRL star boyfriend Nathan Cleary lately – but she’s also staying in top shape.

Fowler and her fellow Matilda Courtney Nevin were photographed earlier this week as they made a trip to a gym in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith, near Cleary’s home. 

Dressed in a dark blue crop top and shorts, the City star revealed a tattoo in small letters on her lower back that reads ‘Love by faith not by sight’.

The message can be read as a variation on the theme ‘love is more than skin deep’, meaning affection for someone can’t just be based on superficial things like their looks.

The phrase also bears a close resemblance to ‘we live by faith, not by sight’ which is a passage from the book of Corinthians in the Bible.

Fowler’s addition to her other tattoos doesn’t feature in any of the selfies on her Instagram account.

The Matildas star gave her fans a look at a meaningful tattoo on her lower back (pictured) which reads ‘Love by faith not by sight’

Fowler was exercising with her Matildas teammate Courtney Nevin (pictured together)

Her holiday down under saw her enjoy a day out at some markets in the Blue Mountains, just west of Sydney, with Cleary soon after he suffered a shoulder injury that initially led to speculation his season could be over.

However, he has been cleared of the need for surgery and is expected to be back on the field for the finals as Penrith try to win four premierships in a row.

The couple enjoyed breakfast at a local café then explored the Glenbrook Rotary Markets where Nathan sampled a scented candle as they looked relaxed and happy. 

Both Fowler and Cleary are no strangers to the challenges of injuries and the road to recovery.

Fowler has dealt with recurring back and foot issues throughout her young career, while Cleary has a more extensive history with injuries.

Thankfully, his most recent setback involves the opposite shoulder from the one he injured in 2021.

The Manchester City star has been spending some time with Cleary (pictured) ahead of her club’s pre-season tournament in Australia, which kicks off on Wednesday

Mary and Nathan began dating towards the end of last year, with their relationship first reported by Daily Mail Australia.

The initial report featured photos of Mary leaning her head on Nathan’s chest while they enjoyed a quiet moment together in a Perth park before one of her Matildas matches.

The couple made their relationship public in October in Perth and later confirmed their romance on Instagram in January.

In May, Nathan, the star halfback for NSW, was sidelined with a grade two hamstring injury, which ruled him out of the State of Origin series for eight weeks.

During his recovery, Nathan and Mary, 21, took the opportunity to spend some quality time together on a romantic getaway.

Both athletes keep their relationship quite private. Nathan has acknowledged that the attention on his personal life has been unexpected.

‘Obviously it’s different from when I was young coming into first grade and people are dissecting my game. I hadn’t had that before,’ he shared earlier this year.