Hello everyone!
A bit about me to start off, my name is Jade Fairbairn I am in my final year at Curtin University
The Curtin Stadium should be familiar to all of you as first and foremost a gym, and where we have our exams. But one of the first things I realised when I began my internship here is it provides the community much more then just that. Curtin Stadium offers inter-faculty sports programs that are free to students, plays host to the TSWA (Tertiary Sports Western Australia) tryouts and games, evening social sports available to the whole community and one program that definitely pulled my heart strings, the Pink Crusaders program.
Little did I know that here in our very own gym, there were two Accredited Exercise Physiologists, known to me as Bec and Paula committed to helping survivors of breast cancer get their strength back. On my first day Mark, ‘one of the big bosses’ as I like to refer to them approached me with a dilemma. Curtin Stadium has been offering the program hidden away in the ladies gym for a few years now, one of only five recovery programs available in WA, but not many people are aware it even exists. So Mark faced me with the challenge of preparing my first real media kit to spread the word of this program.
I met with Bec later that day and sat in on one of the classes, so I could meet the women and completely understand the program and how it has benefited them. As a woman myself, it was difficult to learn of their struggles. One lady said because she had a double mastectomy the last thing she wanted to do was go to a gym full of “posers” and “skinny barbie dolls”. After meeting with these women I realised their struggles were not just with self confidence levels but simple day-to-day tasks for example, collecting the washing took hours because they simply didn’t have the strength.
Here I was thinking my internship would be very black and white, planning and promoting sporting events. But I have since realised working in public relations you have to be prepared for those curve balls. We learn a great deal about how to connect with audiences and convey the messages of your client, we know the theory inside and out but putting it into practice is a whole different story.
I am thankful for this unit because now maybe I can shed light on this program so other women can find their inner and outer strength. Who knew public relations could be so rewarding for the soul? One of my first big lessons in this journey is never forget just how faceted your client can be. I will leave you with one of my favourite quotes, “Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality”, Nikos Kazantzakis.
Thanks for reading!
Jade
