When I finished Uni, I went to work for an outdoor education organisation. It was a mad travelling circus kind of arrangement living in base camps across the country. We led groups, worked insane hours in challenging conditions and barely earnt enough money to buy ourselves a beer at the end of each course. I had the absolute time of my life with the most amazing group of people I'd ever known. We laughed our heads off, we talked long into the night around campfires, we showed others the bush we loved and helped them glimpse some new possibilities within. The friends I made during these years are like family to me, 20 years on. I even married one of them.
At my very first basecamp, I met a woman named Sam. I was the terrified rookie, she was the capable senior instructor. With a generosity of spirit that took my breath away, and still does, she mentored me through my early courses and has mentored me through life ever since. I love her to bits.
I mention Sam to you here because she understands that if we are talking about health in Australia, we need to widen the conversation to include indigenous health, where there is much to improve. One thing we can do to put this topic fairly and squarely on the table is to address the fact that our indigenous people and their culture are not currently recognised in our Constitution. The Recognise movement hopes to change this through a referendum and is working hard to raise community awareness. My friend Sam ran a marathon (a marathon!) in the desert (in the desert!) last year to get people talking about Recognise. Please read her story here, and you may like to consider supporting the Recognise movement. Sam is currently in training for an ultra-marathon (I know! Extraordinary!) for Recognise.
It's all very well to navel gaze about health like I do, but it's something else all together to use your own health and hard-won fitness to actually make the world a better place. Go Sam!
Love,
Indigo Kate x
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