Indigenous-led solutions: Boxing with Wayne Parker
Wayne Parker with two of his students. © Wayne Quilliam
Uncle Wayne Parker, an Aboriginal man from Mount Isa, is making a difference for young people in his community through a backyard boxing program in Townsville.
© WAYNE QUILLIAM / AI
He's just one of the many Indigenous leaders all over Australia – in urban, regional and remote communities – who knows the way forward for Indigenous kids. With Indigenous-designed and led community programs, kids can grow up in an environment that nurtures their potential rather than being trapped in the justice system.
Wayne Parker understands the battle that many young Indigenous people are going through today.
"I was one of those street kids, born and bred in Mount Isa", he says. "I had a violent relationship with my old man."
"I was stealing cars and getting into drugs… I've moved on from all of that. I've been sober for 25 years. It's a long, hard, rocky road to recover from."
Wayne Parker
Boxing helped Wayne to turn his life around, and to deal with his trauma.
"I've been involved in boxing for over 30 years now and it's done a lot for me. It helped me find my feet as a young man and feel accepted."
"That's why I'm so passionate about helping these kids today – I've actually lived that life and I've recovered from it."
Wayne runs a boxing program in his backyard for local kids. Through the training and mentoring, Wayne helps these children to learn about their identity, discipline, and to gain confidence and respect for themselves.
"The key thing is for them to have respect for themselves. Once they have that, we can help them build a bigger and better future for themselves."
In Wayne's experience, a lot of young people have lost their way, their connection with culture and community, and do not respect the law.
"Culture has to play a key part in this,"says Wayne. "A lot of them are chroming and sniffing, getting up to mischief… but once we hit home with them about culture, they have a lot more respect for themselves and for the law."
12-year-old Wayne Parker Junior loves boxing with his grandad. © Wayne Quilliam
12-year-old Wayne Parker Junior says that he loves boxing with his grandad. "He teaches me new things every time we train, it keeps me fit and healthy, it's a family sport and it runs through our blood. I want to be a national boxer."
Wayne has designed a program, YOUFLA, based on his many years of training and mentoring Indigenous young people. YOUFLA would see children out on country, connecting with culture, as well as learning practical farming, like mustering and fencing, and life skills. Wayne is currently seeking funding to run a pilot of his YOUFLA program.
"What's happening in the community affects all of us, and it's been happening for years and generations. We all have to pull together."
Now Indigenous leaders like Wayne need support to make their solutions a reality.
We're calling on the Queensland Government to fund more Indigenous-designed and led programs for kids at risk of being sent to prison.
Read more in our latest research report.
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