QUEENSLAND Firebirds duo Donnell Wallam and Gabi Simpson are empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to make positive health decisions as the Suncorp Super Netball club enters a fourth year of community partnership with Deadly Choices.
The two stars are ambassadors for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander preventative health program and got together to show off the Firebirds’ new Deadly Choices shirt, based off the Netball Queensland artwork 'Reignited' by Goreng Goreng artist Rachael Sarra.
The shirts, used as incentives to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to visit community health clinics for an annual check-up, are now available at participating health services across Australia.
Wallam, a Noongar woman from Western Australia, said using her profile to help empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to remain active, eat healthy food, quit smoking and connect with their Community Controlled Health Service for regular 715 Health Checks was important.
“It's a privilege for me to be involved as an ambassador with Deadly Choices and be in a position to be a role model for the younger generation - teaching them to stay active, get involved in sports and be confident in sports and living a healthy lifestyle,” Wallam said.
“Seeing role models that they look up to in netballers or sportspeople promote healthy lifestyles will have a huge impact and influence on Indigenous kids to stay healthy, get involved in sport and have those health checks that they need.”
The partnership includes aligning with Netball Queensland’s Diamond Spirit program, for which Wallam and Simpson are also ambassadors. Diamond Spirit aims to engage, empower and educate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls, young women and their communities through the power of netball.
Since 2017, 2500 participants in remote communities have accessed netball clinics and inter-community carnivals through Diamond Spirit while 500 students have enrolled in Educate Hubs, which provide opportunities to enhance physical and cultural wellbeing.
Simpson was honoured to lead the Firebirds’ role in helping Deadly Choices and Diamond Spirit work towards positive health and wellbeing outcomes.
“Over the years we have enriched our Firebirds culture by building a few First Nations customs into what we do all year round,” Simpson said.
“Things like smoking ceremonies, yarning circles and connecting with elders has helped us have a deeper understanding and connection with Australia's first peoples and also deepened our connection with each other.
“Deadly Choices is another aspect of connecting, using our platform to help promote healthy lifestyles for First Nations peoples through making deadly choices.
“I'm grateful to be involved as an ambassador alongside Nelly this year. Getting out into the community, meeting the kiddos and seeing people wearing our Firebirds Deadly Choices top will be special.”
Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Ltd Director of Commercial Operations Dallas Leon praised the impact the partnership has had and will continue to have.
“The Firebirds – Netball Queensland – Deadly Choices partnership provides a very strong community engagement tool to enhance positive health messaging and continue to encourage health checks among communities from right across Queensland,” Leon said.
“Indicative of the direct impact Deadly Choices is having in communities, Queensland now has the highest number and rate - upwards of 40 per cent - of 715 Heath Checks of any state in Australia.
“Our Deadly Choices shirts continue to play a key role in driving demand for preventative health care, contributing to an almost 4000 per cent increase in health checks since inception throughout South-East Queensland.
“Through Deadly Choices we’re making a real difference in closing the health and life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and with the support and commitment of the Firebirds this will be enhanced over coming years.”
The Queensland Firebirds will celebrate First Nations Round in our Suncorp Super Netball match against Melbourne Vixens at Nissan Arena on Sunday, 4 June.
