25 Mar Closing the Gap Awareness Day With Ex Broncos Superstar
On Thursday, March 18 Gladstone Women’s Health Centre proudly hosted a Closing the Gap Awareness Day event at Kev Broome Stadium.
The day featured an array of art, traditional dances, food, fun games and a 10m rock climbing wall for the kids! Stallholders from around the region also showcased their available health and wellbeing services that will assist in ‘Closing the Gap’.
The ‘Closing the Gap’ campaign, which is a national initiative aimed at closing the health and life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.
In attendance was a special guest speaker, ex Brisbane Broncos and Queensland State of Origin player Jharal Yow Yeh who was very grateful to receive an invitation.
“I haven’t been out in the community recently, so to be able to have this opportunity to come to Gladstone and to be able to do is very humbling and enjoyable.
Meeting the elders is my favourite thing to do, you can never learn about your culture!”
Jharal Yow Yeh continued expressing the importance of Closing the Gap Awareness Day for the Indigenous community.
“It’s very important for the Indigenous community. Especially for myself, with the platform that I have and who I am, it’s really important to come here and teach young indigenous people how important it is to be black but also to make sure that we are ‘Closing the Gap’.”
Jharal Yow Yeh brought a special prize with him for the winner of the passport trail event, an Indigenous Broncos Jersey. When asked how his injury recovery is going Jharal said,
“No, I haven’t fully physically recovered. Mentally I have yes. When you play a sport that is as brutal as rugby league, you’re going to come out second best. A lot of people who have retired from this game always do come out second best unless you’re Cameron Smith!
It’s been a long road to recovery and I’m still getting there slowly but as I get older the body wears down, unfortunately. But I regret nothing, I had a great time in the game and really enjoyed it.”
