‘I had the best childhood’: Mel McLaughlin so proud of Quakers Hill upbringing

NO matter how far work takes sports presenter Mel McLaughlin — Commonwealth Games in Scotland, Olympics or World Cup football in Brazil — she never forgets her roots.

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NO matter how far work takes Mel McLaughlin — to the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, the Olympics or World Cup football in Brazil — she remains a Quakers Hill girl through and through.

The Seven Network sports presenter thanks the sporting gods for an upbringing in Sydney’s west which immersed her in all manner of games and ultimately led to her high-profile professional life.

Now she, alongside figures including Kyly and Michael Clarke, is a Go West ambassador.

Sporty Go West ambassador, Mel McLaughlin. Picture: Justin Lloyd

While other heads may be turned by her often glamorous lifestyle, she remains firmly grounded in her Quakers Hill roots.

She lived there for more than 20 years, still spends “half the week” there visiting her parents and retains fond memories of her days at St Andrew’s Primary School at Marayong.

Mel McLaughlin, aged 7, remembers sport being popular in her neighbourhood.

She completed her senior education at John Paul II, now known as St Andrew’s College.

“I am very proud of where I’m from. In my eyes I had the best childhood,” she said.

“Sport was the background noise of my early days.

“I remember the whole neighbourhood riding bikes, playing football in the streets or having massive cricket matches in the park.”

The 36-year-old former Fox Sports and Channel 10 reporter particularly loved football and netball but played “just about everything” at school.

She followed her English dad in supporting Manchester United but it could easily have been Spurs, the team of her Anglo-Indian mum.

She remembers carrying a Manchester United bag at school and the Red Devils even feature these days on her phone cover.

Mel McLaughlin is one of western Sydney’s most successful products. She is a Go West ambassador along with Sam Alhage, Nathan Hindmarsh, Mark Geyer, Amna Karra-Hassan, Christie Lamb, Rob Shehadie, Monika Radulovic, Smallzy, John Skandalis and Matt & Jess. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Liz Ellis went to the same school, and Mel recalls her “first big interview” was with the netball star at a school assembly.

Mel is a big fan of western Sydney’s diversity, saying: “The west is more reflective of life, society and multicultural depth than just about anywhere.”

She was blissfully unaware of any stigma that could attach to being a “westie” until she went to Sydney University, of all places, saying: “I was quite disgusted”.

As an ambassador for the region she wants to see the west continue to grow and get more attention from government because it has “lots to offer”.

But she does have one heartfelt complaint.

“People in the west pay millions of dollars in road tolls,” she said.