Our Deadly Choices team have been run off their feet over the last few weeks between delivering the incredible program to our local schools, planning the deadly launch party at Wuchopperen (stay tuned for details) and yarning with our community about healthy life choices, there’s barely any time left in the day! But, our Deadly Choices Officer Keiryn has managed to squeeze another initiative in for our kids.
Enter, Deadly Tennis!
Keiryn and her partner founded Deadly Tennis in Cairns to work with our young people to develop skills in and a love for tennis. Keiryn is the Head Coach for Deadly Tennis and last year expanded her role to train Bentley Park College – Clontarf Foundation students. The Clontarf Foundation works with young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men to improve education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects.
“Sport has always been a huge part of my life and I love working with young people to help them find their passion. Sport isn’t always about competing, although that can be fun too, Deadly Tennis is all about trying something new, staying active and living a healthy life with your mates,” says Keiryn.
Last year, Keiryn and the Deadly Tennis team founded a three-day tennis carnival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth, the NAIDOC Indigenous Big Serve Carnival. For the first time, 20 young people from the Cairns region, including three of Keiryn’s Clontarf students, were selected to compete in the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival.
“Seeing the boys competing in the National Carnival was such a great experience. I was able to travel with them to Darwin and be with them on their journey, it was so special seeing their energy and commitment to a sport which has given me so much!
I feel so lucky to get to live the life I am passionate about both in my work and in my life after 5pm. Getting to nurture pathways for our young people is so rewarding, be it in tennis, cricket, basketball, or just moving more and living an active life is so rewarding,” says Keiryn.
In any spare time she has left, Keiryn is also the Ambassador for the Cairns Regional Council – Indigenous Big Serve Tennis Program. If you are interested in tennis, or making health changes to your life, pop in to Wuchopperen for a yarn with Keiryn and the rest of the Deadly Choices any time.