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Profile

Riley Zerafa
Riley Zerafa

Riley Zerafa

Indigenous Health Scholarship

University of Technology Sydney, NSW.

Master of Physiotherapy
Scholarship Awarded 2024

Sponsored by:
David Henning Memorial Foundation

Indigenous Health Scholarship Program

Student Profile

I am a proud Aboriginal man with my ancestors originating on Ngengi Wumirri land on the Daly River in the Northern Territory. I was lucky enough to grow up in Darwin where we’d spend most of our weekends goose shooting the swamps or up the Daly river chasing that big meter barramundi. I competed in many sports such as AFL, touch, rugby union, rugby league and athletics. This is where my love for sport began. With this love for sport I began studying sports and exercise science at JCU in Townsville. Mid-course I transferred to USC on the sunshine coast where I completed the degree.

Upon completing my sports science degree, I was lucky enough to get an offer to study my masters of physio at UTS in Sydney. Since the commence of my course here in Sydney I have not looked back, I am loving what I am studying and I’m excited for my future in this industry.

How will I contribute to improving Indigenous health as a qualified medical practitioner or health worker?

At the moment I am still very undecided on what my future will look like as a physiotherapist due there being so many different routes that can be taken. I am mostly interested in two main areas. The first area being indigenous sports pathways into elite sport whether this be AFL or other sports. I know as a physio the typical type of care is very superficial in these areas, such as rehab, strapping and so on. But I would like to be more then that. This could involve myself being a mentor as well as a physio, or targeting health within the program on more a community level, which has been shown to improve health outcomes for indigenous Australians. However I go about it, I want these young athletes to thrive physically and mentally and get the best opportunities they can.

My other possible route is rural care in more the chronic disease area of physio, as we are 2.3 times more likely to suffer from these types of diseases then the average Australian. I would love to help improve this figure and help many indigenous Australians lives however I can.

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