Our Connection to Country

Connecting to Country is at the core of First Nations culture. To appreciate the term connecting to Country we must understand that, in this context, the word Country is not referring to the island that we call Australia, but it is referring to hundreds of individual communities each its own “Country”. Within those lands, Country refers to everything from the fauna and flora, the waterways, the sky and the people – each as important as the next in creating a healthy environment. Therefore, connecting to Country is about connecting to each other and our environment to improve outcomes for all.

At the VIS we are committed to fostering the next generation of champions in a safe and inclusive environment, while celebrating the achievements of our VIS First Nations alumni who paved the way, such as Cathy Freeman AC and Kyle Vander-Kyup. We believe, in conjunction with the Win Well 2032+ Connection to Country initiative, we can embed First Nations culture into the ways we operate, learn from the oldest known culture on earth, whilst creating a culturally safe environment for all athletes to thrive.

• We are committed to ongoing education and embracing of First Nations culture into our ways of doing and strive to be leaders in the high performance sports area.  

• We are committed to providing opportunities for success by creating a bridging categorisation program for First Nations athletes and establishing strong links with communities. 

• Our commitment to a culturally safe environment extends to more than the athletes and we are actively pursuing ways to increase our First Nations employment representation within our organisation.  

• Committed to leading reconciliation through our Reconciliation Yarning Circle event and creating opportunities for all cultures to come together and celebrate First Nations culture in a respectful, educational and connected environment.