An Indigenous tradition provided an inspirational meeting place for Australian athletes at the Paris Olympics.
Australia’s Deputy chef de mission Kyle Vander-Kuyp says a yarning circle in the athlete’s village contributed to a strong culture within the team.
“You can walk into that Olympic space and feel a little bit lost but we had many groups sit in a circle and first get welcomed and get congratulated and get brought into that Australian team,” he said.
“You feel a sense of connection to each other and the whole team, we made everyone feel welcome and connected.
“It was nice to use that ancient practice of a circle or a yarning place to connect so that’s something that is a highlight.“
Traditionally, yarning circles have been used as meeting places to build respectful relationships and discuss ideas.
Vander-Kuyp (pictured below) says he thinks it helped athletes achieve their best results in Paris.
“I got lots of great feedback from coaches and athletes to say, I think thanks for setting that up, and thanks for making us feel so connected and so welcome,” he said.
“That was the part that I played, a big part in, and that helped people feel settled, and then that helped people perform then you sort of go okay, I did my role and did what I had to do.”
If you enjoyed this article, please consider donating to NIRS today to amplify more Indigenous voices through media.
