Mental health emphasised as league stars visit

More than 400 Gunnedah High School students relished last week’s ‘Mind and Movement’ mental health and wellbeing clinic on the school campus, with an array of rugby league identities as mentors.

Last Thursday involved students from grades 7, 8 and 9, before the following day was for grade 10, 11 and 12 students.

The Goanna Academy – founded by former Australia, Queensland, Melbourne Storm and South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league star Greg Inglis – hosted the event in collaboration with the Stars Foundation.

The Goanna Academy undertook its purpose of helping the community address and improve its mental health, through school programs and workshops.

It was the second time within four weeks that Inglis visited Gunnedah, having also come as part of a HOGS clinic along with Brad Fittler and Yasmin Meakes.

Last week, Inglis was accompanied by NRLW players Keele Browne, Nakia Davis-Welsh, Taliah Fuimaono, Grace Kemp, Rachael Pearson and Jakiya Whitfeld, as well as Stars Foundation program coordinator Enja Ryan.

There were numerous football skills and drills activities on the school oval, as well as mental health workshops in the classroom.

The key focus was supporting mental health and wellbeing while the workshops sought to reduce stigma, build resilience, encourage people to “start conversations”, and provide the necessary tools for mental health-related issues.

Representatives from Headspace and PCYC were also on hand to promote their programs and offer support.

Having had many highs and lows on and off the field during his illustrious if chequered rugby league career, Inglis encouraged the students to “speak up” while he also discussed his battle with mental health and stints in rehab.

Inglis recalled being diagnosed with depression, anxiety and bipolar during a stint in rehab, and he said people at a young age needed the suitable tools which they could use for the rest of their lives.

Kemp discussed how she fell into a “dark spot” last year and had injury problems while also feeling that she wasn’t “good enough”.

Kemp said the youngsters needed to know about mental health, and realise that it’s “totally normal”.

Talking to the Gunnedah Times, Pearson said she loved events like these and “getting out into these communities” and “having a bit of fun with the kids” in addition to the serious side of things.

Pearson said what the Goanna Academy sought to do was “a great initiative, and it’s something that us NRLW players really like to be a part of”.

Pearson spoke about getting “those key messages out there…around the prevention of mental health, and just starting those conversations at a younger age”.

Pearson said the NRLW “brings everyone together”.

“We start those conversations, important conversations, and I think everyone takes something out of these,” she said.

Fuimaono said for her, events like these were about “making connections with the kids”.

“I think especially in rural areas, they probably don’t get many NRL or NRLW faces out in person,” she said.

“Being a face, being a good role model, and making connections with the kids that don’t get to do it that often.”

Fuimaono said suicide rates were through the roof – especially in rural towns – in which case events like ‘Mind and Movement’ were super important, including in towns like Gunnedah.

Imagen Jolliffe.

Grant Elwin and Vinnie Winsor.

Oliver Fiy, Alex Budden and Jack Byrnes.

Harry Ward.

Kaidyn Maguire.

Ella Bower.

Chase Hinton, Blair Hampton and Travis Woodbury.

Charnai King-Seach, Indy Demmery, Frankee Demmery, Chynoah Squires and Alira Kennedy.

NRLW players Keele Browne, Taliah Fuimaono, Grace Kemp, Rachael Pearson, Nakia Davis-Welsh and Jakiya Whitfeld during their visit at Gunnedah High School.