TJ

I am a proud Kukatha and Narungga man and grew up with my family in Adelaide, South Australia.

As a young person I enjoyed trying out many sports and activities and was always keen to try new things.  I started surf lifesaving as a young nipper at the age of 11, and I am now competing in the sport of Surf Lifesaving as a beach sprinter, as well as being a voluntary lifeguard on beach patrols.

In more recent years, I moved into the field of Athletics and Pro running, after realising my passion for sprinting. In both sports I have competed at State, National and International competitions

It has taken a lot of dedication, determination and hard work, and I recently moved to the Gold Coast to further my career as an athlete.

It has been fantastic to work with Bright Youth, especially on recent trips to my home community of Ceduna in remote South Australia. It has been a rewarding and inspiring experience to engage with our youth and the community, as I love sharing my passion with others.

I am proud to be an ambassador for the Bright Youth Foundation. I hope I can be a role model by inspiring youth with my own journey. I hope to promote health and well-being in our community and encourage our youth to be confident, creative, and follow their dreams.

 

Achievements

 

2013                President’s Award – South Australian Athletic League, 2012-2013

2013 – 2015    South Aust. Surf Lifesaving State Champion, Open Male Beach Sprints

2013 – 2015    South Aust. Surf Lifesaving State Champion, Open Beach Flags

2014 – 2015    South Australian State Team, competing at Surf Lifesaving Intrastate National Titles

2014                Young South Australian Aboriginal Achiever of the Year, March 2014

2014                Australian Team, Oceania Games, Cook Islands, June 2014

2014                NAIDOC Male Sportsperson of the Year, July 2014

2014                SA Community Achiever of the Year, Finalist in Sports category, Nov, 2015

2014                Male Athlete of the Year, Port Adelaide Athletics Club

2015                Stawell Gift Finalist, Stawell Gift, Victorian Athletic League, April 2015

The importance of training & health and fitness for the improvement of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people’s lives is something that Tjimarri promotes to his family, peers and community. He encourages others to work hard and pursue their goals. He also assists his peers to develop healthy lifestyle and nutrition choices through his role modelling.