Showcasing upbeat rural health stories from communities and towns around Australia is the goal of the Build ‘Em Up podcast which kicked off in March 2021. The National Rural Health Alliance produces the monthly podcast to share the voices of the multitude of great people building the health and wellbeing of local communities. Telling positive stories is part of journey of creating a level playing field where people in rural and remote Australia can access affordable, quality health care.
The name Build ‘Em Up comes from the song of the same name by country songwriter and performer Josh Arnold. The man with the mullet from Tara in Western Queensland (and now Toowoomba) composed the song as pick-me-up for rural, regional and remote communities during COVID-19. People from right across the rural landscape contributed words, phrases and poems to bring the song to life in 2020.
Have a listen to the full song here. The essence of Build ‘em up is being a spark of hope, support and resilience for each other, which is exactly what a lot of great people are doing in the rural health space.
The launch podcast – Episode 1 – is an interview with Torres Strait Islander, Elsie Seriat. Elsie grew up on Thursday Island and returned home after an incredible journey that saw her run the New York Marathon in 2014. Elsie achieved this incredible success only six months after joining up with Rob de Castella’s Indigenous Marathon Foundation. Since completing several marathons and being awarded an OAM, Elsie continues to inspire her family, friends, community and people around Australia to get moving. To hear these great stories head to our podcast page on the website.