PBR and Deadly Choices partnership offers exciting opportunity for Indigenous youth

Seventy young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were given the chance of a lifetime to see the innerworkings of a PBR (Professional Bull Riders) event up close, thanks to a partnership between Deadly Choices and the PBR.

Ahead of the PBR Cairns Origin III that took place on Saturday 13 July, Deadly Choices education program participants were given full access prior to the event to see the full set up, meet the Cowboys and get a chance to experience the large variety of jobs required to set up such a large-scale event.

As part of the Deadly Choices Healthy Lifestyle education program, this initiative showcased the many and varied opportunities available within the stock and cattle industry, with the hope to whet the appetite of aspiring youth towards employment in areas such as cattle management, event coordination or being a part of the camera crew and production team.

Deadly Choices NQ Operations Manager Lynette Anderson said it is an exciting opportunity for the students, who were all keen and looking forward to the day.

“This event was an exciting event for us at Deadlly Choices, it was our first time partnering with PBR so we’re hoping the kids we have through our Deadly Choices programs can come together with the PBR team and experience first-hand what it’s like to put on an event like this,” Ms Anderson Said.

“Through our programs the kids learn to be really good role models and leaders in their community, so anything that they could grab out of this opportunity, hopefully they can take it back to the community and share it.”

Ms Anderson said kids from around Far North Queensland and the Gulf attended the event, with some travelling for a few days to be able to participate.

“It’s really good for them to be able to mix and meet kids from other communities to learn new ideas, and it was good to see kids making family connections too.

 “I think that’s really important when we’ve got our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids together to have that family connection, and a cultural connection that they’ve been able to strengthen as well,” Ms Anderson said.

“Deadly Choices continues to play a critical role in advocating for the health and well-being of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through incentivised health and education programs.

“Any occasion where we’re able to educate and empower individuals about the importance of taking a preventative approach to their health is a priceless exercise,” she said.

“Foremost in that conversation is ensuring individuals are booked in for an annual health check, where PBR-aligned shirts worn by participants is a welcome addition to the suite of Deadly Choices health check incentives.”

Following a meet and greet with the Cowboys, participants will be split into groups of 10 or 15, and will learn about different aspects of PBR production, such as the scoring systems used in the States, and how bull scores are determined.

They will also be shown the announcement side of the event, including the sports screen that gets populated with information, how to read it, and the audio system setup, including speaking on the loudspeaker.

A steel barrel was set up to mock a bull ride, which was a favourite amongst the students.

PBR Head of Sponsorships Simon Mallory said the PBR is always looking to give opportunities to kids who may not necessarily have access to the same opportunities as those who live in metro areas. 

“As PBR we are about opening up the professional sport up to a wider audience and sharpening our focus on the community,” Mr Mallory said.

“What Deadly Choices does to ensure ongoing support for health literacy among young kids is fantastic and very empowering.

“To have this alignment and partnership with them – it‘s very exciting for us.”

“A lot goes into a PBR, it’s not just the bull riders and our stock contractors, there’s all the other elements – all the behind the scene work and effort that go into making a large scale event possible,” he said.

PBR have also teamed up with Deadly Choices, to offer an exclusive PBR-aligned, long-sleeved health check shirt incentive, which like NRL and AFL aligned varieties will be made available at participating community-controlled health services across the country.

Mr Mallory said the event will provide participants the chance to see the large scale of opportunities offered by a PBR event. 

“It’s not often that you get a chance to play on the PBR dirt and have the professional cowboys, protection athletes, camera operators, judges , entertainers give you their time and attention….that’s what these kids are going to have,” he said.

“These kids will be able to take what they learn from the PBR back into their communities to hopefully then develop careers that they probably never thought were an option.”

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ABOUT DEADLY CHOICES – www.DeadlyChoices.com.au

Deadly Choices has evolved into Australia’s most successful community-focused, community-led health initiative which is currently delivered into schools and communities from right across the country. 

Introduced in 2010 as part of the Australian Government’s Tackling Indigenous Smoking or TIS initiative, the Deadly Choices Healthy Lifestyle program initially focused on chronic disease reduction, orchestrating engagement and education around ways of supporting community members with tobacco cessation, while ensuring implementation of healthy habits into peoples’ everyday lives.  

This is the hallmark program which has evolved into a comprehensive commitment by the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) and its foundation members to educate and empower Indigenous populations against the dangers of smoking.

The objective to improve knowledge and understanding of what good, positive health practice looks like, continues to form the cultural catalyst of the Deadly Choices program, allowing individuals to gain confidence in taking control of their own health now, and into the future.