Tribal quest for connection
FROM struggling to walk across a hospital room to hiking to the tip of Australia, Jo Piggott has come a long way in four years.
In 2018 the mum-of-three fell critically ill with an autoimmune disease not long after moving to Cairns.
During weeks spent in hospital – and longer still bedridden at home – her new Far North community stepped up.
“I had a lot of women come in and visit daily, bring food or just (provide) company. It was amazing,” Ms Piggott, now 51, said.
Once recovered, Ms Piggott wanted a positive way to give back.
Thus was born Your Tribe; a group aimed at creating a healthy supportive community for women through walking and social connection.
“At first I started walking 5km along the Esplanade and invited people to join me. In those days I’d often end up just walking by myself,” she said.
Today, Your Tribe boasts 900 members, offers five to six walks in Cairns each week, plus hikes and retreats further afield.
A highlight earlier this month was a trip Ms Piggott led to Cape York, where a group of women trekked to the northernmost tip of Australia, celebrated Melbourne Cup on the beach, and enjoyed each other’s company.
“I’ve built amazing relationships with people through Your Tribe. We’ve become a bit of a family, some of us,” Ms Piggott said.
“I’ve got a lot of women in their 60s and 70s who have had a lot of their social networks drop away, or we’ve helped a lot of people through things like relationship breakdowns, job changes, kids leaving home.”
“Life can be super tough at times … Just going out and walking and talking – emotional health, mental health and physical health – they all go hand-in-hand,” she said.
As well as connecting lonely community members, Your Tribe has raised thousands for charities including Stay in the Fight, and the Young Animal Protection Society where they partner to walk dogs looking for a home.
Ms Piggott was recognised
for her contribution to the community by Cairns Regional Council this year as a finalist in the Woman of the Year Awards.
She said while being a finalist was “amazing”, Your Tribe is a project born out of love.
“I get so much out of watching what other people get out of it,” Ms Piggott said.
“I dedicate quite a lot of time to it on top of a full-time job, but I just love it.”
While also running Cairns A/C and Refrigeration business,
Ms Piggott decided to study a Certificate III and IV in fitness to better help the Your Tribe women.
“I hope to be able to take a group overseas to do some challenging hikes and to start some group fitness,” she said.