When Abbie was looking through sporting magazines in a medical waiting room, she was disappointed to find they hardly mentioned any of her female sporting heroes.

“I noticed that there weren’t really any magazines about just women’s sport, so I really wanted to make one,” she told ABC Radio Melbourne.

“It took a few weeks but now Her Way magazine, completely about women’s sport exists, and I am really happy about that.”

With some back-end support from her parents, the 11-year-old wrote articles, created puzzles and laid out the pages for the digital magazine.

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The first issue launched on September 24 at a cost of $2, with half the money going to UNICEF Australia’s Empower Girls Through Cricket appeal.

Abbie hoped to have 50 readers, but she has already sold more than 270 copies.

“I’m really happy, I can’t believe this many people have bought it,” she said

Buoyed by the success of her first issue, she plans to release monthly editions.

Female sporting stories ‘inspiring’

Abbie has always liked sport, but it was after her dad took her to a women’s cricket game that it became a passion.

Whether it be AFLW, cricket, soccer or basketball, Abbie has now been to more women’s sporting matches than she can count and knows a lot about Australia’s best female athletes.

Her magazine’s motto is “if she can, you can”.

“I think it is really inspiring that young girls, and I guess boys as well, can see that if this girl can do it then you can do it as well,” Abbie said.

She doesn’t think it is fair that female athletes get less media coverage and earn less money than their male counterparts. By publishing Her Way, Abbie says she is doing her bit to correct the balance.

Sport stars in to bat for Her Way

Within days of being released, Her Way garnered the support of high-profile athletes including cricketer Elyse Villani and golfer Karrie Webb.

Multiple sporting teams have got in touch to offer Abbie interviews with players or to congratulate her initiative.

Retired GWS Giants captain Amanda Farrugia was one of the first people to buy the magazine after she saw it promoted on social media.

“It’s impossible not to support her and get on board.”

Farrugia remembers first meeting Abbie in 2018, when the young girl came and introduced herself while they were watching a T20 cricket game.

“I remember her being a vivacious, confident young lady and I was committed to making sure I could play a small role in encouraging her to pursue her dreams and passion into the future, no matter what that looked like,” Farrugia said.

Years later Abbie still has the signed note Farrugia gave her on the day they met on her bedroom wall.

While Her Way might be the first magazine Abbie edits, it is unlikely to be her last.

While she aspires to play sport professionally in the future, she says telling women’s sporting stories could be just as fulfilling.

“I’d like to have a job like this when I grow up, because I like sport and I like writing,” she said.