The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has launched a Community Engagement Initiative to connect elite athletes with Indigenous communities so they can learn about country, traditional owners of the land, history and culture.
The Institute’s aim is to assist athletes enrich their position to be better role models for the Australian community.
Director of Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement at the AIS, Matti Clements (pictured) said 13 current and former elite athletes had joined together to Share a Yarn with remote Indigenous communities across the country.
Ms Clements said the Share a Yarn Ambassadors were taking part in National Reconciliation Week activities with the Indigenous youth of Arlparra, a remote community 200 kilometres from Alice Springs.
“With physical visits to communities on hold as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, athletes will be utilising the Share a Yarn online video platform to ask questions of youth in Arlparra, seeking to learn about aspects of culture, land, history and peoples and how they can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia,” Ms Clements said.
“National Reconciliation Week is an opportunity to help athletes gain a better understanding of different Indigenous cultures within Australia,” she said.
She said the athletes selected to be Share a Yarn Ambassadors were a mix of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (ATSI) and non-ATSI athletes and would be involved for a 12-month period.
“This will include community visits, remaining in contact and supporting communities through online video messaging, community event appearances and sharing their learning back to their sport,” Ms Clements said.
