Kick-starting healthy habits
A PASSION for working in remote communities has led Shelby Grant far and wide, and now she’s spreading the word on healthy eating in the Far North, with the help of AFL Cape York.
Grant will lead the newly created On the Move with Deadly Foods program, targeting indigenous communities throughout Cape York, the Torres Strait and the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The initiative, funded by North Queensland Primary Health Network, will target primary school children, a model Grant found successful while working in the APY Lands in South Australia.
“I used to work as the indigenous programs co-ordinator for the SANFL,” Grant said yesterday. “One of the things we did was run an active education program encouraging kids to come to school with sport.
“The turnaround was really positive. I did that for two years and it was a really good carrot to get the kids to school.”
Deadly Foods aims to encourage young people to think about what they eat in a bid to improve life expectancy and obesity rates in remote communities.
“It is all about good tucker,” Grant said. “We’ll be working with kids, talking about why a healthy and active lifestyle is important.
“The hope is that will relay back to families and have a domino effect throughout the community.”
Grant recently travelled to Bamaga with AFL Cape York as part of the annual Chris Johnson Cup.