Northern Territory Runners

28 years old from Hermannsburg Charmaine is Aboriginal from Hermannsburg, and has lived in the community her whole life. She is the first IMP athlete from Hermannsburg, and is helping to strengthen the IMP connection in Central Australia, following the participation of athletes from Alice Springs in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Charmaine wants to run and be healthy and to also stand up for her community and show other single mums that if she can do it, they can do it to. She wants to be a role model and stop smoking, try IMP and try running. She also wants to be part of IMP to encourage and inspire others, and show them that there is more to life. Charmaine is a mother to two young children, and took up running when she heard about the IMP tryouts. She now runs 4km three times week. She works full-time at the MacDonnell Shire Council in Hermannsburg.

23 years old from Galiwinku, Elcho Island Evelyna is Aboriginal, from the Djambarrpuyngu clan. She is the first IMP athlete from Elcho Island, and has lived in the community of Galiwinku her whole life. She wants to be part of IMP to represent her community and to try something different. She wants to show other women her age in her community that she can run a marathon, and to be a good role model. Evelyna is the head of her local church group and helps young people in the community with employment. She has previously been nominated for the Northern Territory Young Achiever Award. She has represented the Northern Territory in track running, AFL and touch football. Evelyna works full-time at the East Arnhem Shire and is mother to two young children. She has a great support base in the community, including her partner, and other community members.

25 years old from Katherine Justin is Aboriginal from Ramburrunga Trip Arnhem Land Justin moved around a lot growing up and raised himself from a young age. He has lived in Katherine for the past seven years. He now raises seven children, a number of which are foster children, with his partner, and wants to teach them the right way to live, and ensure that they are the opportunities that he didn’t have. Justin wanted to be involved in IMP to help make a positive change in Katherine, as well as in wider Indigenous Australia. He also wants to inspire his children and show them that they can achieve anything in life. Justin runs a program in Katherine called Strongbalas – an Indigenous men’s health program that supports men through a variety of issues including homelessness, crime rehabilitation and health education.

24 years old from Yirrkala, NT Nathan is Aboriginal from the Wangurri clan. He grew up in Yirrkala, before moving to Victoria to pursue his passion for AFL, playing for both Geelong and the Western Bulldogs for six years. He recently moved back to Yirrkala to be closer to his family and now works full-time as a youth worker for the East Arnhem Shire Council organising different activities and encouraging young people in the community to achieve their best. Nathan wants to continue to build on the impact that past IMP squad members Jamie Wunungmurra (Boston 2012) and Arian Pearson (New York 2011) have had in Yirrkala. He has a strong interest in sport and recreation and wants to promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle to the people in his community.