Awabapod: Recent Episodes
Awabakal
Awabapod is proudly brought to you by Awabakal, a leading indigenous health and community organisation. Listeners can expect community leaders, sports stars and role models sharing their stories and key messages about how you can look after your health. We'll even throw in a healthy dose of Awabakal humour for good measure.
In this episode we have a yarn with Kyah Simon, a football superstar who has represented Australia in the Matilda's team in two Olympic games. She talks about her childhood and how she found a love of football, in an NRL mad family.
We asked Brett and Leo:
Where are you from?
How did your footy career begin?
How did you end up in Newcastle?
What Indigenous players were on the team?
How does it feel to play in front of huge crowds?
When did you realise you could go all the way in 1997?
Was it more pressure or more fun?
Did you see all of the excitement in Newcastle before the final or were you focused?
How did it feel to not play in the final?
What was your homecoming like?
Simone Jordan from Awabakal has a yarn with Yeena Thompson and Toni Manton about the role of women in today's society. They share personal stories, tears and triumphs.
Rod Smith has a yarn with Wests Tigers legend 'Jimmy the Jet' and rising star, Dane Laurie.
Rod Smith has a chat with super Coach Michael Maguire and local boy Ronald Griffiths - Wests Tigers Assistant Coach about his vision for the team and some of the up and coming stars.
Rod Smith from Awabakal has a yarn with Ken Weatherall - a man of many talents. A proud descendant of the Muruwari and Kamilaroi Nations of New South Wales, Ken has been a passionate advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education for 17 years working in the NSW Department of Education in many different roles. He's now a Program Facilitator for the Stronger Smarter Institute.
Rod Smith has a yarn Evis Heath, health and wellness ambassador. He talks all things mind, body and spirit - and a few random facts!
Rod Smith has a chat with Edrick Lee from the Newcastle Knights. Tune in and listen to Edricks story's about his youth, challenges he's faced and hurdles he's overcome to succeed.
In this episode of Awabakal's podcast - Awabapod - Rod Smith has a yarn with Louise Campbell from the Catholic Schools service about this year's NAIDOC theme - Heal Country.
In this episode of Awabapod Rod Smith has a yarn with Sargeant Grant Biles and Indigenous Liaison Officer Matthew Roberts from the Williamtown RAAF base. They share their stories and offer some insight into what a career is like in the armed forces.
Rod Smith has an emotional and eye-opening yarn with Donna Meehan. Donna shares her story, as part of the stolen generation and her own personal road to reconciliation.
We're chatting to the wonderfully talented Gema Simon - international soccer superstar and all round inspiration. Tune in and hear about her journey, the dedication required to reach her dreams and her plans for the future.
- How are you? Been in Newcastle for over a year now. How are you settling in and how do you feel about Newcastle?
- Townsville born. Indigenous Allstars game in Townsville. How’d you feel about that being played there?
- Your family background is Torres’s strait, Japanese and Malay? Can you explain to me more detail of your family history?
- Covid. I had quite a few chats last year with your communications team & how it affected them, and the dramatic changes put in place to make the NRL work. From a player’s perspective, what did you think when it first happened and how did you handle it overall?
- Health. Let’s talk food. Because you are a professional sportsperson, is food planning harder for you or easier?
- Game day. Is your game day eating different to the rest of the week?
- Training. It seems a lot of our people are too skinny legged not to make the higher grades. Did you do much weight training as a kid and is weight training important now?
- Talent vs hard work. First, which one wins? Secondly, is too much talent a curse when you’re a junior?
- Hardest built player in the Knights?
- Fastest Knights player?
- Slowest Knights player?
- Trickiest Player in the Knights?
- Besides yourself, Knights Player to watch this year?
- Queenslander boy. Where are you from originally & tell me a little about your family?
- What was life growing up for you? And did that environment and upbringing create the foundations of Steven Oliver the performer?
- How did you get into the arts and when did you realise, yeh this is what I want to do?
- Writing plays, scripts, tv, skits, music, poems etc. Where do your ideas and inspiration come from?
- Is there a topic out there that you think could be a little controversial and be like, yeh I would love to write a play, song or script about that topic or issue?
- Is there a difference between black and white comedy?
- Now it’s no secret out there that you are an open Gay Aboriginal man. Was it hard for you to open up coming from a small community that is culturally strong, family & community strong?
- How much struggle have you gone through to just get where you are at now? And how much further would you like to go?
- Top 3 things you have done you are most proud of?
- What advice would you give anyone wanting to get into the field of Arts?
What does 'Always was always will be mean'?
Terra Nullius
Mabo and Land Rights movements.
How can we continue to make change.
An introduction for Nathan Towney.
Where were you born and where did you grow up mostly?
What was life growing up for you like?
I hear you played a bit of footy when you were young?
How’s the PVC role going and how are you handling the COVID situation?
With Black Lives Matter happening around the world and in this country. Are you finding any issues in your role as PVC?
What did you have for breakfast?
Where did you grow up?
What was your childhood like?
What’s your best memory of your childhood?
What lead you to a career in professional footy?
What does a typical day look like for Connor when you’re training?
Who was your role model when you were growing up?
What are your thoughts on Aboriginal health and the challenges our people face?
How do you stay focused and resilient?
Do you see yourself as a role model for younger indigenous kids?
If there was one piece of advice you could give to indigenous youth what would it be?
An interview where Kelvin tells us a little bit about himself, his road to where he is now, and his passion for improving Aboriginal health.
Where did you grow up?
What was your childhood like?
What’s your best memory of your childhood?
Who was your role model when you were growing up?
What lead you to become the first indigenous Surgeon in Australia?
So what does an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist do?
Why is it so important for our mob to get their ears checked?
What are your thoughts on Aboriginal health and the challenges our people face?
Do you see yourself as a role model for younger indigenous kids?
If there was one piece of advice you could give to indigenous youth what would it be?
In this episode we explore the below questions through the eyes of our youth, from a political perspective and through the experience of an elder:
1 . What is your feeling and response to the BLM movement with the marches and protest that have happened around this country and around the world so far?
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Are our young people more empowered now than in the past and do you think our young people can do more now than in the past?
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So with the marches, protests, and social media being sent on fire with debates, do you think this will be enough in this country to start changes within our government and have you have seen and heard anything that indicates change?
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Do you think the removal of our children play a big part of our kids being incarcerated at an older age, creating a higher risk to deaths in custody?
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How do you think we move forward and make change?
Topics covered include:
What was your childhood like?
What’s your best memory of your childhood?
What has been your experience with Mental Health, Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking.
What was the point where he decided to become a Ninja warrior?
Do you see yourself as a role model for younger indigenous kids?
If there was one piece of advice you could give to indigenous youth what would it be?