Australian sporting champion to inspire next generation of female Indigenous leaders

Indigenous netball star Beryl Friday is blazing a trail for hundreds of young Indigenous girls, championing the importance of education through the Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy.

Instrumental in ensuring indigenous women have a voice in Australian sport, the former ANZ champion with the Queensland Firebirds, has been announced as the newest ambassador for the Girls Academy.

Beryl joined Broncos legend Justin Hodges at Cleveland State High School to welcome the latest students to the fast-growing program.

As a leading voice for Indigenous women in sport, Beryl was instrumental in the creation of Netball Queensland’s Indigenous Advisory Committee.

Her story is incredibly powerful and inspiring to all young Indigenous women having experienced racism within the community or in the sporting realm.

Beryl understands first-hand the importance of connecting with your community, having been the only Indigenous girl in her year for 11 and 12 and one of only a handful at her school.

“I am extremely honoured to be an ambassador for the Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy and excited to be a role model for young First Nations women in Australia,” said Beryl, a proud Nyungkul woman of the Kuku-Yalanji Nation.  

“Education is one of the most important tools women can have. This generation of Indigenous women are no longer denied their rights to higher education and the sky really is the limit. 

“Through the Girls Academy, we have the opportunity to make Australia better for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women now and into the future. 

“Both my parents experienced racism growing up and my mum was unfortunately not allowed to finish school. She returned to TAFE as a middle-aged student to finish her certificates, and now holds a degree.”

Beryl is studying education full time while working for the Broncos. She hopes to be a teacher and ensure that school systems are safer for our kids from a policy or curriculum standpoint.

More than 1,700 female students from Year 7 to 12 are currently enrolled in the academy in 45 schools across Queensland and northern NSW. The program, which aims to improve school attendance, increase confidence, and foster leadership, is supported by the Federal Government, State Government, and major community partner NRMA Insurance.

Students at Cleveland State High School are among 700 young Indigenous girls joining the Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy for the first time in 2021.

“Education sets up our kids to make better informed decisions, which can lead to changes that can benefit them now and our future generations,” said Beryl.

“The young women in the program are role models to me too. I do not want them to see me and my achievements and think that is the bar they must set for themselves. I want them to be better, aim even higher and go further in their own fields and careers.” 

Christine Halliwell, General Manager of Community & Government Programs at the Brisbane

Broncos, said leaders like Beryl, inspired the next generation to take a positive step towards their future careers.

“The Girls Academy is thrilled to welcome Beryl Friday as our newest ambassador with career success that showcases the endless possibilities for our Indigenous girls,” she said.

“Beryl’s courage and determination to achieve great things in her life is an inspiration to many young Indigenous women.”

Beryl, who was born in Ingham in North Queensland and is one of five children. She was inspired by her parents to be a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in Australian sport.

Starting netball at the age of 8, she excelled in the sport and was offered a sports scholarship for her final two years of school at Brisbane’s prestigious St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School.

In 2015, playing for the Firebirds, she was the only Aboriginal women in the ANZ Netball Championships. One of her career highlights was playing in England for the Bath Netball team in the 2019 Superleague season.

Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy has supported more than 4,000 students since it was established in 2016, recognizing the vital role that young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women play in influencing the next generation.

To find out more, visit broncos.com.au/community or email community@broncos.com.au.

You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BeyondtheBroncosProgram.