Gold Coast paramedic finds connection to country through rugby

A child of the Stolen Generation, Gold Coast paramedic Madi Schuck always struggled to feel a sense of belonging. Then, she found rugby union, Madolyn Sushames writes.

Madi grew up in the Redlands area playing netball as there were no junior girls’ ruby teams, having to watch her younger brother play rugby from the sidelines.

“My brother and I were super competitive so I kind of took on rugby as soon as I could to show him I was better,” she joked.

Madi started out playing club rugby with Easts at the age of 18 and quickly rose through the representative ranks.

By 2013 Madi was competing against the world’s best in the World Rugby Sevens series and trying out for the Queensland and Australian teams.

Around the same time, she started studying a dual degree in nursing and paramedicine.

“It took me essentially 10 years to become a paramedic because I didn’t get the results I needed in school, so I had to look at alternate pathways and transfer through University courses,” Madi said.

“I eventually got into the course and finally got my degree which was a huge step.”

Madi applied for the nursing and paramedic graduate programs at the same time and was offered a nursing position in the Gold Coast University

Hospital’s (GCUH) Emergency Department where she stayed for six years until she was offered a place in the QAS Graduate Paramedic Program (GPP).

“I loved nursing, especially on the Gold Coast at the GCUH because it has one of the busiest Emergency Departments in Australia,” she said.

“But as much as I liked nursing, I just always wanted to be in a truck and to be a first responder.”

Madi became a paramedic as part of the GPP in August 2021 – the same year she debuted for the Queensland Reds after more than a decade of playing rugby.

“I sat on waitlist for six years before I got into the graduate program, it was a very similar story with rugby,” she said.

“I played for 13 years and was rejected at six trials only to finally make the squad the seventh time.

“After that sixth rejection from the Reds I was going to hang up the boots and just play socially, but luckily I had a coach push me and told me I can do it.”

This is Madi’s second season with the Reds and she is also set to reach another major milestone – her graduation as a qualified paramedic.

Madi is part of the QAS Indigenous Network and is an Indigenous Liaison Officer and is keen to bring her own experience as an Aboriginal woman to both her workplace and in her work with the community.

Madi debuted for the Queensland Reds in 2021 - the same year was accepted into the GPIP Program.

“There’s a massive health gap in the Indigenous community because of a lot of distrust so being that link for our community to get them to engage with the help they need is important to me as it’s one of the ways we’re going to close this gap,” she said.

Madi’s grandmother is from the Stolen Generation so, like many, Madi has felt a disconnect to country – something she has started to find again through her rugby circles.

“It’s the first time I felt a connection to that cultural side because the one thing we all have in common is we’re indigenous and we play footy,” she said.

“The first year (2017) I went into the Lloyd McDermott National Indigenous side we all sat in a circle, and they asked us to talk about where we’re from.

“I used to dread that because I don’t know where I’m from and I don’t have that connection.

“But after hearing from the girls, I learned it was about recognising and accepting that some people won’t be able to tell you where they’re from and that doesn’t make them any less Indigenous if they identify and establish a connection to country.

“It starts with being up front with where you come from or not knowing where you come from.”

Madi said she couldn’t have managed her work/sport juggling act without the support of QAS and her managers.

“We do our best, and I had a lot of annual leave when I came across from nursing so as soon as I have training times and season game days, I let them know straight away,” she said.

“Unfortunately, there are crossovers where I have to maintain my hours, a lot of the time I’ll work night shift leading into training, you just have to suck it up and do it.

‘I just make sure I’m up front and get my dates in early to plan ahead to minimise any clashes.

“I know lots of people who have had to give up sport for their jobs, but thankfully I haven’t been put in that position.”

Madi is an Indigenous Ambassador for the Queensland Reds.

Madi is a leader in her community, and as an Indigenous Ambassador for the Queensland Reds’ she’s hoping to combine her three passions to encourage other indigenous children to achieve their goals.

“I’ve worked on a lot of Indigenous programs through rugby, and I would love to get QAS involved.

“I want to show these kids they can play sport and go to university and there are heaps of ways to get where you want to get to without being that good at school.

“With girl’s sport in general, many girls reach a time in their lives where they all drop out of sport when they go to high school because it may be seen as more masculine, or there’s no opportunities.

“I want to show them they can do footy and still go to school and get good grades and get themselves a job.”

Madi’s Officer in Charge Michael Sims said Madi’s ability to manage her sporting and professional careers was a credit to her drive and determination to succeed at both.

“We’re extremely proud of what she has achieved in her Rugby world and her ability to juggle her work life and sporting commitments,” Michael said.

Madi (left) loves working on the Gold Coast as a paramedic.

“As a paramedic the job and particular cases can be quite demanding sometimes both physically and mentally, however Madi is very driven and currently thriving in both environments.

“As Maddy’s OIC I aim to continue to support her both at work and with her work-life balance including juggling rosters to accommodate all her training/ travelling and game day requirements.

“I wish Madi and all the other Wallaroo players all the best for their upcoming test match games.”

What’s next for this budding paramedic and talented union player?

As Michael alluded to, Madi is not only preparing for her local club’s season after just being named in the Players of National Interest (PONI) squad with the end goal to play against New Zealand in Australia’s World Cup side, but she’s also just been named as a member of the Wallaroos to play this month (May) against Japan and Fiji.

Madi Schuck playing in her Indigenous jersey.

This year the Reds’ Indigenous jerseys became their away uniform.

“In the 13 years I’ve played, I never got to wear an Indigenous jersey in a non‐indigenous team until now,” Madi said.

It was a special moment for all of us indigenous players and honestly had to hold back tears when it was announced.

“The jersey is designed with pink and purple on the top for the women and black down the bottom to represent the men with a river and yarning circle in the middle separating and connecting them at the same time.

“Like the rugby men’s and women’s sides, at the end of the day we’re all connected by rugby.”