A Rharru and Wgilak woman from the remote community of Ngukurr is among a group of young athletes-to-be from the Big Rivers Region who have been selected to take part in a gruelling fitness project that will ultimately lead them to run the world's biggest marathon.
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The Indigenous Marathon Project (IMP) is a six-month health, wellbeing, and leadership journey that uses running to change lives and provide a renewed sense of empowerment, purpose, and pride.
Each year, 12 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people aged between 18 and 30 are selected to train for the biggest marathon in the world in November, the New York City Marathon.
Natasha Billy, a language worker at the Ngukurr Language Centre where she works with her Elders to learn her language, Ritharru, only has a little bit of running experience from football training and with friends.
The young woman, who also works for Anglicare at the local childcare centre in Ngukurr as part of the Families as First Teachers program, said had applied to become part of the IMP to make her family and her young son proud.
"The reason that I was interested in doing the program is that I want to be a role model for my community," she said.
"I hope that by the end of the journey I can run a marathon.
"Maybe kids in my community will see what I'm doing and feel inspired to do the program when they grow up."
Ms Billy will be joined on the 2023 squad by Borroloola's Jobastin Priest and Beswick man Peter Farrell, as well as other Northern Territory participants and a variety of runners-to-be from across the country.
"We are so excited to see what (the participants) will each accomplish this year, and the ripple effects that (they) will create across (their) communities," the IMP said.
In addition to training for the NYC Marathon, the squad will participate in a series of milestone event runs throughout the year and complete education components including in Indigenous Leadership and Health Promotion, Sports First Aid and Level 1 Run Coaching.
The Squad will be supported by former world marathon Champion and Olympian, and IMF Founder Rob de Castella, Head Coach Damian Tuck, and Assistant Coach and IMP Graduate Tristan Nelliman-Adams.
Annie Hesse
I am an award-winning media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcast, as well as photography and videography. I am the NT Correspondent at Australian Community Media and I write for my hometown newspaper, the Katherine Times. I love telling people's stories, and I am passionate about giving those a voice who may otherwise remain unheard. When I am not busy putting pen to paper, I spend time in my garden, go bushwalking or travel across the Northern Territory, Australia or the world. In my spare time I write, illustrate and publish books.
I am an award-winning media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcast, as well as photography and videography. I am the NT Correspondent at Australian Community Media and I write for my hometown newspaper, the Katherine Times. I love telling people's stories, and I am passionate about giving those a voice who may otherwise remain unheard. When I am not busy putting pen to paper, I spend time in my garden, go bushwalking or travel across the Northern Territory, Australia or the world. In my spare time I write, illustrate and publish books.
