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Sharing the benefits of a healthy lifestyle

23 February 2018
Safety and Wellbeing
An Aboriginal woman dressed in bright aqua and white workout clothing holds a workout weight bar inside a gym with weights and equipment behind her.

Kellie McDonald aims to inspire, motivate and encourage Indigenous people and communities to make healthy choices and improve their lifestyles.

Choosing a healthy lifestyle is a choice Kellie McDonald wants more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to make.

Concerned about poor health amongst some individuals in communities, Kellie from the Mandandanji Roma mob in Queensland, is promoting the many benefits found in the health and fitness industry.

‘Healthy recipes, functional workouts, educational videos and positive mindsets can be easily accessed at the click of a few buttons,’ Kellie said.

She is an example of what she preaches and aims to be a positive role model to all Indigenous communities across Australia. Kellie is a full time high school teacher, a group fitness instructor and an Ambassador for an Australian all natural supplement company. She won multiple categories in her first body building competition, being crowned Ms Fitness Model Overall for Queensland.

To help share her message, Kellie created a YouTube channel showcasing workout videos and lifestyle vlogs. Through comments, Q&A and suggestions on what to film next, Kellie interacts with her online community.

But it’s not just physical health and fitness that Kellie is promoting.

Kellie lives by a quote from Kai Green who said, ‘Mind is Everything’.

‘Working out long term will contribute to your overall mental state through reducing stress, anxiety and depression,’ Kellie said.

‘It allows you to think positively about yourself and about what you have accomplished, and it promotes brain stimulation and health.’

Kellie said that transitioning to a healthy lifestyle takes time, consistent effort and hard work. Making small, healthy, balanced changes every day will contribute to your overall mental and physical state.

‘It's also really important to surround yourself with people who will support you and encourage you on your health and fitness journey,’ Kellie said.

‘Remember, we all need to start somewhere, and where you go, is completely and entirely up to "YOU".’

Kellie also lives by a quote from the Irish playwright, Oscar Wilde: ‘To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.’

‘To live is to wake up with a purpose, to know why you have been given a life on this earth,’ Kellie said.

‘I have been educated with so much knowledge about living a healthy lifestyle through my Bachelor of Health Sport & Physical Education degree, my group fitness certification and competing in a body building competition.

I know my purpose is to use this knowledge and experience to educate, inspire and motivate as many Indigenous people to believe that anything is possible if they just believe in themselves.’ Kellie said.

Kellie is living.

Find out more

Promoting a healthy lifestyle amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will help to close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage and is a priority of the Australian Government.

For more information, go to Kellie’s YouTube Channel.