# Mary Earps Wins Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Award
England goalkeeper Mary Earps has been voted the 2023 Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year. The 30-year-old Manchester United player was fifth on the Ballon d’Or list, the highest-ever ranking for a female goalkeeper. Earps follows last year’s winner, athlete Eilish McColgan, and tennis player Emma Raducanu, who won in 2021.
Earps played every minute of England’s seven World Cup matches, conceding just four goals and saving Jenni Hermoso’s penalty in the final in Sydney, which England lost 1-0 to Spain. For United, Earps kept 14 clean sheets in the Women’s Super League last season – a new record – and helped her side to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history.
Two-time heptathlon world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson, seven-time Paralympic gold medallist Hannah Cockroft and England cricketer Tammy Beaumont were also nominated for the Sunday Times award. Meanwhile, the Lionesses were voted Team of the Year for their maiden World Cup final appearance while Cockroft won the Disability Sportswoman of the Year award for the third time. Teenage snowboarder Mia Brookes took the Young Sportswoman honour while Olympic cyclist Katie Archibald was awarded the Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration.
## Mary Earps: Achieving Greatness on and off the Pitch
Mary Earps is a professional footballer who plays for Manchester United and is a goalkeeper for the England national team. She is a role model for aspiring female athletes and has achieved great success both on and off the pitch.
Earps has been a key player for England since she made her debut in 2017 and has been an integral part of their success at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, where they reached the final before losing to Spain in extra time. She was also voted fifth on the Ballon d’Or list, the highest ever ranking for a female goalkeeper, and was awarded the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Award in 2023 for her achievements on and off the pitch.
At Manchester United, Earps has been instrumental in helping her team qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history and set a new record by keeping 14 clean sheets in the Women’s Super League last season. She is also an advocate for gender equality in sport and works with organisations such as Common Goal to promote gender equality and diversity in football.
## Earps’ Inspiring Story
Mary Earps is an inspiration to aspiring female athletes around the world and her story is one of determination and hard work paying off. She started playing football at a young age and was determined to make it to the top despite facing many obstacles along the way, including being told she was too small to be a goalkeeper and having to overcome injuries that threatened to derail her career.
Despite these setbacks, Earps persevered and worked hard to become one of the best goalkeepers in the world today. Her success is a testament to her hard work and dedication and serves as an inspiration to other female athletes who may be facing similar challenges in their own careers.
## Earps’ Legacy
Mary Earps is an example of what can be achieved when you set your mind to something and work hard to achieve it. Her success on and off the pitch is an inspiration to aspiring female athletes around the world and she is a role model for young girls who may be facing similar obstacles in their own careers.
Earps’ legacy will be one of determination, hard work, and success against all odds, and she will continue to be an inspiration to aspiring female athletes for years to come.