Kyah Simon, the Australian professional soccer player has on different occasions expressed how thankful she is to have her family. They have supported and encouraged her from the start of her career and are relentless with this commitment.
Kyah’s parents, Gordon and Pam Simon endured difficult teenage years that were riddled with alcoholism, racism, and violence. However, they have since decided to give their children a better and more beautiful life.
Meet Kyah Simon’s Parents
Her Father, Gordon Simon Had a Troubled Childhood
Kyah Simon’s father, Gordon Simon was raised in Newcastle and has roots linked to the Biripi and Kamilaroi people of Australia. He grew up alongside 2 siblings and a step-sibling.
Growing up, his father battled alcoholism which was largely influenced by the psychological effect of being in the army and serving in World War II. Asides from that, he watched his parents fight most of the time which often left his mother with a black eye and other injuries.
As a child, he couldn’t do much asides from comforting his mother after every fight. Unfortunately, she passed on when Gordon was 12 years old and her death got the family divided as their dad couldn’t take care of them. His sister moved in with her boyfriend while Kyah’s father and his brother stayed with their aunt and juggled several jobs. Sadly his sister also passed after taking their father’s path to becoming an alcoholic and drug addict.
Gordon Simon worked as a Parole Officer, Sign Installer, and Teacher
As hinted, Kyah’s father has been fending for him since his youth and continued to juggle several jobs when he got married. Though he was a sports enthusiast, he never pursued a professional career.
He first worked as a parole officer and later secured a job as a sign installer. His job required that he hanged cranes on Commonwealth Bank buildings in Sydney. After a few years, he started teaching computer programs to children in Western Australia, a remote indigenous community.
At the moment, what he does isn’t known. However, he has been able to provide a comfortable life for his wife and children.
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Kyah’s Mother was a Victim of Racism
Kyah Simon’s mother Pam Simon comes from a very humble background in Glen Innes. She is one out of 13 siblings birthed by her parents Poppy Reg and Betty. Unfortunately, she lost a sister before she was born and another when she was young.
Growing up, Pam and her siblings suffered a great deal as their parents who were of different races juggled manual jobs to maintain livelihood. They later moved to Erskineville, Sydney where they all lived in a single bedroom and subsequently, a housing commission in Seven Hills before settling in Macquarie Fields.
Asides from living in poverty, she also lived in discrimination because of her indigenous heritage and recalled how she would battle people calling her black this and black that. Needless to say, Kyah’s grandmother was black while her grandfather was white. In fact, his family had kicked against their marriage and when they decided to go on, they frustrated their efforts.
Pam Simon Previously Worked as a Security Guard
Kyah revealed that when her parents got married, life was quite tough for them as they were both building a livelihood.
As such, her mother Pam picked up a job as a security guard for Myer, one of the largest department store operators in Australia with several stores spread across eastern states.
Kyah’s Parents Helped each Other Heal From Their Troubled Years
As stated earlier, Kyah’s parents grew up with terrible experiences and have since become each other’s strength. Together they have been trying to heal from the painful memories and also protect their children from alcoholism, racism, and violence.
They have promised to never drink, smoke or fight in front of the kids and they’ve been true to this commitment. In fact, Kyah revealed that her dad hasn’t touched a drink for over 3 decades.
Kyah Simon’s parents, Gordon Simon and Pam Simon got married when they were 26 and 16 years old respectively. The pair were introduced by Gordon’s brother while attending the same church and got married after two years.
They are Raising 4 Children Together
Gordon and Pam are proud parents of 4 children. Their first child Aaron Simon was born a few years after the pair got married. Subsequently, Sarah Simon, Wesley Simon, and Kyah Simon joined the family.
Since their birth, their parents have made several sacrifices for them and encouraged them to pursue their passion.
Kyah revealed that since her father didn’t have a great education, he made a commitment to make sure his children get better than he did. The 4 children of the couple attended Pacific Hills Christain School in Dural to limit their exposure to negativity.
Asides from that, Kyah noted that her parents did everything to give them a beautiful life. According to her, when she developed a passion for soccer, they had to deal with a lot of expenses and went all the way for her. Admittedly, she only found out how selfless they have been when she became an adult.
Kyah also added that every time she achieves something great in her career, she dedicates it to her family because, without their support, she wouldn’t have dared to dream so big.