Fourteen athletes across 11 different sports have been selected as ambassadors for the Australian Institute of Sport’s (AIS) Share a Yarn Program.
AIS said that under the Program, First Nations and non-Indigenous athletes were chosen as ambassadors to undertake cultural training and activities side-by-side
“Australian Matildas football representative Kyah Simon recalls playing at the 2015 FIFA World Cup and locating her family in the stands by looking for the Aboriginal flag,” AIS said.
“Netballer Gabrielle Coffey recalls accompanying her mother, a nurse, across the red dirt desert roads to the remote Aboriginal communities around Alice Springs to teach basic health prevention,” it said.
“Boxer Alex Winwood recalls performing cultural dances as a boy at his grandfather’s Indigenous art gallery in Western Australia.”
AIS said these were just some of the stories that the Share a Yarn athlete ambassadors were sharing as part of its 2021 Program.
The Institute said the Program aimed to build meaningful connections between sport and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, as well as support athletes to foster reconciliation and improve cultural competency within their own sports.
Director of People Development and Wellbeing at the AIS, Matti Clements said Share a Yarn was about creating greater inclusivity and understanding in sport.
“Understanding different cultures in the community helps athletes to overcome and prevent racial divisions in sport,” Ms Clements said.
“We want these athletes to be role models for cultural understanding and inclusivity within their communities, which will ultimately lead to a greater sporting experience and life experiences for all,” she said.
The full list of AIS Share a Yarn athlete ambassadors can be accessed at this PS News link.
