IMF supporting fun ways to health and fitness

BY JEN ENOSA & CHRISTINE HOWES

The Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF) is wellknown to most in the Torres Strait with graduates Elsie Seriat and Alex Blanco proof of its success, but this year for the first time the IMF has taken their ‘fun and educational health and fitness program’ as far as Murray Island.

I-CAN – the Indigenous Communities for Activity and Nutrition program – is an eight-week program for Years 2-6 will roll out across 14 campuses in the Torres Strait over the coming months.

Program Officer Jesamine Wheeler said the program had been running, mostly in the Northern Territory, since 2013.

“We go out and we do some fitness and health screenings on the children in the first in the last week of the program,” she said.

“And then in between that they do a bunch of weekly activity sessions to improve their health and fitness over that time.

“And hopefully, when we come back out to do the rescreening, we can see some improvements in their physical activity and their overall health.”

She said they had been well-received.

“I think the schools really enjoy having having IMF coming out to the to the schools and also the children love it, it’s great for them to get out and do some activity,” she said.

“And we try and make it fun and a bit of education along the way as well to teach them about what we’re doing and, and the importance of their overall health and being active.”

IMF Regional Manager Kylie Young said she had been coming to Torres Strait Island communities for several years.

“Coming back, seeing the change and seeing the kids that I’ve worked with grown up and going in the direction of working and having families is really lovely,” she said.

“We’ll head across to Horn Island for a day over at the primary school there, and then next time we’ll be going over to Bamaga and Injinoo to roll the program out and up there as well.”

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Mudh Head of Campus Rick Cass said the program also aimed to help with student attendance, with a colour run hosted by IMF planned as the schools culminating activity for Term 1.

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