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Sport
Skyeisha Rigney, from Raukkan,
South Australia, one of the
Indigenous runners who are off to
Washinton DC and Philadelphia.
Bound
for the
USA
TWELVE young
Indigenous Australians are
heading to the United
States for a two-week
sport and cultural program.
The tour is the result of
a partnership between the Indigenous
Marathon Project (IMP) and the US
Mission in Australia.
Four IMP mentors and 12 Indigenous
Australian youth aged 14-17 will travel to
Washington DC and Philadelphia
(Pennsylvania).
Participants were selected from IMPʼs
Deadly Fun Run series and in the US will
train with local running coaches, learn
strength and conditioning skills, sports
psychology, injury prevention, athlete
nutrition and conflict resolution.
They will also volunteer at one of the
oldest national track meet competitions, the
Penn State Relays, which features the best
teams from around the US.
The tour will provide the youth with the
opportunity to participate in a local fun run
and meet representatives from the Native
American community to share elements of
each otherʼs culture.
Bianca Graham (IMP 2011 graduate),
Georgia Gleeson and Luke McKenzie
(2013 graduates) and Nathan Riley (2014
graduate) will chaperone the group.
The team:
Those going to the US are: Isabella
Raleigh – Weipa Deadly Fun Run
champion (Weipa, Qld); Skyeisha Rigney –
three-times Murraylands Deadly Fun Run
champion and National Deadly Fun Run
champion 2013-2014 (Raukkan, SA); Mona
Mungatopi – Tiwi Islands Deadly Fun Run
champion (first in age group 2013) and
National Deadly Fun Run representative in
2013 (Milikapiti, NT); Kenisha Winunguj –
Tiwi Islands Deadly Fun Run champion
2013 and National Deadly Fun Run
representative in 2013 (Milikapiti, NT);
Phylisia Palipuaminni – Tiwi Islands Deadly
Fun Run champion 2013 and National
Deadly Fun Run representative in 2013
(Milikapiti, NT); Gabrielle Mairu –
participant in the Thursday Island Running
Group (Thursday Island, Qld); Reece
Knitschke – Murraylands Deadly Fun Run
champion 2013 and 2014, National Deadly
Fun Run representative 2013 (1st) and
2014 (2nd) (Murray Bridge, SA); Dwayne
Wunungmurra – participant in the
Gapuwiyak Training Group (Gapuwiyak,
NT); Uriah Bob – participant in the
Thursday Island Running Group (Thursday
Island, Qld); Jayden David – Mossmanʼs
most consistent fun run participant in 2014
and represented at the National Deadly
Fun Run championships in 2014 (Cairns,
Qld); Lamar Enoch – Mossmanʼs most
consistent fun run participant in 2013 and
represented at the National Deadly Fun
Run championships in 2014 (Mossman,
Qld); Josiah Wanambi – participant in the
Gapuwiyak Training Group (Gapuwiyak,
NT).
The group will undertake a ʻbondingʼ run
in Melbourne this Friday, April 10.
They will be joined by representatives
from the US Consulate, IMP graduates and
youth participants on the program.
Opportunity
IMP director and founder Robert de
Castella said this is an incredible
opportunity for Australiaʼs Indigenous
youth.
“We are very grateful to the team at the
US Mission in Australia for offering such a
life-changing, memorable experience to our
graduates and young Indigenous
Australians,” he said.
“It offers them an insight into the fusion
of sport and culture in another country,
providing an educational and cultural
connection.”
Novel fundraiser nets $11,000 for IMP
THE 2014 Virtual
Run saw more
than 585
participants
collectively run
more than
17,000km and raise a staggering
$11,000 for the Indigenous
Marathon Project (IMP).
Preston (Melbourne) woman
Sarah Jefford, who initiated the
nation-wide event, said it was
humbling to have people right
across Australia get involved.
IMP founder and marathon
legend, Rob de Castella, was at
Melbourneʼs Olympic Park
athletics facility near Rod Laver
Arena on March 27 to accept a
cheque from Ms Jefford.
“I really wanted to organise an
event that everyone could be part
of,” she said.
“The purpose of the Virtual
Run was to allow people to
accumulate kilometres throughout
the month of December – so by
the end of the month, they may
have run the equivalent of a half
or full marathon.
62 THE KOORI MAIL, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015.
“It also encouraged some
people to run or walk as little or as
much as they wanted. The
response was overwhelming.
“I wasnʼt sure how many
people would get involved,
but it was so well supported and
Iʼve already been approached
about organising it again this
year.
Rob de Castellaʼs Indigenous
Marathon Project was established
in 2010 and annually selects a
squad of 12 Indigenous
Australians, six men and six
women aged 18-30, to train for
the worldʼs most iconic running
event – the New York City
Marathon.
ʻDeekʼ said Sarahʼs passion
and enthusiasm to help IMP
epitomised what IMP was all
about.
“We want to encourage
Indigenous and non-Indigenous
Australians to reap the benefits of
living an active and healthy
lifestyle,” he said.
“Many of our runners, when
they try out for IMP, donʼt even
know how far a marathon is. But
they do know the importance of
setting an example for their family
and friends, particularly given the
significant incidence of healthrelated disease affecting our
Indigenous Australians.
“They take on an incredible
challenge and become
inspirations in their community.
“We are very grateful to Sarah
and her hard work and dedication,
and of course, to everyone across
the country who took part in this
event.”
The Voice of Indigenous Australia