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Young mum Evelyna keeps busy with marathons, awards and university study by Evelyna Dhamarrandji 25 June 2014
I
left school during Year 12 when I had my daughter. I did school at Shepherdson College in Galiwin’ku. When I had my baby instead of going back to school to finish year 12, I started looking for a job. I got a job in a few different organisations in Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal (ALPA), Traditional Credit Union bank (TCU), Marathakal Yolngu Airline, Money Management and with the Shire as a Youth Worker. We provide activities and programs for youth and we invite them to a meeting to men’s and women’s programs. Some of the activities include bush trips, cultural activities and cooking. We help them to write letters to organisations to ask if they can do work experience for 1-2 weeks. Last year I got involved with the Indigenous Marathon Project (IMP) with the help of my co-worker Ashton Kealey. I applied through the internet and flew to Gove to do my tryout. I’ve been doing track and field for many years. A week after my tryout I was on my way to Darwin as a finalist in the NT Young Achiever Award. I flew on Air North and stopped by Maningrida for few minutes and then I got the phone call from IMP and I felt like screaming ‘cos I was that excited. Melinda Fajerman, my regional manager for Youth Sport & Recreation was with me and the mentor, were all there, we were on the same flight. I was just so
Evelyna loves competing in marathons. Image: abc.net.au
excited and they were like ‘what, what, what’s happened?’ I told them I got into IMP. We all were full of happiness and joy. I trained for the marathon for seven months. I went to Canberra, did the Mothers’ Day classic which was 10km, it was the start of my
longer running training. The second trip was to the Gold Coast for half marathon, 21km. Next we went to Sydney to do City to Surf, which was 14km and included the heart-rate hill. And then we came to Alice Springs to do the 30km trials.
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From those trials they to go forward for announced who’s going to our future in the New York or Boston with community. My six men and six women first language is with four of us from NT. Djambarrpuyngu I got selected for the New common language in York marathon. Arnhemland. It’s my During the marathon clan language. There my heart was pumping are lots of different so hard, running for five dialects in Yolgnu. hours. I ran through places I also speak Creole, that I recognised through my grandfather’s the movies and I kept on speaking language asking myself was I really and also English. here? The marathon was I started studying on November 3 last year. the Preparation for When I started the Tertiary Success Evelyna loves promoting her work. Image: Awards Australia training my son was 3-4 (PTS) course in In 2014 I was again nominated months old. I had a baby March this year. I in the NT Young Achiever Awards and then started training for a heard about it when me and my and I was a finalist in the Health & marathon! co-worker Ashton Kealey were Wellbeing category. My co-workers researching through the internet, When I got back from the marathon, some of the ladies in the also nominated me for the 2014 because I wanted to do a university National Youth Award. I won in the bridging course. women’s program in Galiwin’ku Health & Wellbeing category at the were inspired by me and they My first option was Batchelor National Youth Awards in Canberra because I know a lot of people who started running and walking with last month. My family came for me and the others in the sport and have been there. that, my husband, my children and recreation team who I work with. The first time I heard about my mum. The number of people is PTS was when I found it on In the future I would like to do increasing all the time, almost the website www.acike.edu.au. more marathons and I’m not sure half of the community are joining At first I was very nervous and what study I will do. I’m waiting in. There were 20 people from scared and I started talking to the for an answer from International Galiwinku who tried out for the course coordinator on Twitter and Youth Program. They will be IMP project last month. It was found out more. When I came to choosing five Indigenous people the biggest of the tryouts. The Alice Springs and met the other from different states to go to community all came out to see the students and from other states, Washington. I applied because tryouts and cheer everyone on. the confidence built on me. I feel they contacted me to ask if I would confident about PTS now. During the tryout we also had a apply. big ceremony for my graduation I always keep myself busy with I have a young family, a 5 year from the Certificate IV in Leisure something and I have a lot of good old daughter and 1.5 year old son. and Health which I completed as people around me who support With my running and study I have part of the Indigenous Marathon me. Since doing the marathon my spent time away from home and it’s Project. personal life has changed. People a bit hard being away from family. I in my family and my community In 2013 I was nominated in the have lots of aunties and uncles and NT Young Achiever Awards and I understand how the running my partner are all supportive. My won the Indigenous Achievement released the pain in me, finishing partner did Norforce training while the marathon I cried my eyes out. I award. This was for leading I was doing marathon and our kids the Marthakal Young Leaders lost my grandpa while I was at that were looked after by other relatives. marathon which was very hard for and because we organised the We’re trying to support ourselves Galiwin’ku Youth Spirit Festival. me.
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