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Deadly Vibe extracts from Issue 132 February 2008. Reproduced with kind permission of VIBE Australia Pty. Ltd at Do not reproduce.

Extract 1 Daniel Geale
Extract 2 Kylie Farmer

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Extract 1: The quiet achiever – Daniel Geale

It’s 2004, and young Indigenous boxing hopeful Daniel Geale’s dreams of boxing at the Athens Olympics have just been shattered.

Since his father took him to a boxing gym when he was nine years old, the young Tasmanian had dreamed of nothing else.

So after winning Gold at the 2002 Commonwealth games, losing his Olympic qualifying bout was a devastating blow which brought Daniel to the brink of quitting the sport.

“A few thoughts crossed my mind about whether this was what I really wanted.” Daniel reflects.
“But I’d had a taste of it and I knew that I wanted to box. It’s what I love.”

Four years on and the decision to follow his heart has paid off for Daniel in spades.

Late last year, Daniel outpointed Daniel Dawson, another highly rated up-and-coming Australian boxer, to clinch the IBO (International Boxing Organisation) Middleweight world title in his adopted city of Sydney.

Three weeks after the bout, Daniel is still on top of the world and is looking forward to the next step in a career now brimming with opportunity.

“My trainers and I had a plan and I was really stoked that I stuck to it,” Daniel says of the fight. “I didn’t do anything stupid. I didn’t put myself in a position to get hit with any silly punches or anything, so it was good the way it turned out.”

“I trained really hard for the fight and there were a couple of times where he (Daniel Dawson) had to pull out, but it was good to finally get to fight. I knew it was going to be a hard one, but I still went in there and did what I had to do. I performed well and that was the main thing.”

While late withdrawals and postponements often wreak havoc with a fighter’s physical and mental preparation, Daniel says that ultimately the rescheduling of the fight was a blessing in disguise.

“At the time it didn’t bother me that much,” he says. “But looking back on it, it was probably a good thing, I found that I didn’t fight as well as I should have in February, but as the year went on I fought better in October. By December I was fighting a lot better, so the fight being put off a couple of times worked in my favour.”

Daniel also gives much credit to his trainers, including three-time world champion Jeff Fenech, who guided Daniel at the beginning of his professional career and was also in his corner for the title fight.

“When I first turned pro it was with Jeff and he taught me a lot about the basics,” Daniel reveals. “He has a confidence about him that sort of rubs off on you.

“He sees a lot of things in training. I started to forget a few things, but when he started helping me out everything sort of fell into place.”

After a stellar amateur career which saw him clinch the Australian and Oceania Welterweight titles and star at both the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, Daniel’s pro record now stands at 18 fights for 18 wins with 12 knockouts.

Along with West Australian Willie Kickett, Daniel is the most promising Indigenous boxing talent in Australia today, and his title victory has propelled him into some pretty handy company – the likes of Lionel Rose, Robbie Peden and Anthony Mundine.

But Daniel is far from ready to rest on his laurels, and knows there is plenty to do yet before he can rub shoulders with the truly great Indigenous boxing legends.

“It’s awesome to know that I’m amongst the company of those guys,” he admits. “But I try not to think about it, because the way I see it, I still have so much more to achieve. I just want to make sure I keep improving, because there a few top guys in my division that I really want to fight and beat.”

Surprisingly, following Daniel’s victory, not a single headline appeared in any of the major newspapers. But while the likes of Anthony Mundine dominate the media spotlight, Daniel is happy to stay in the background.

“It doesn’t bother me too much,” he says. “I know what I have to do and I’m going to keep working hard until I get that.”

In the often circus-like atmosphere of professional boxing, Daniel is content to replace trash talk and pre-fight antics with a humble down-to-earth attitude. He’s polite and well-spoken – the kind of kid you can’t help but barrack for. In the ring he lets his fists do the talking and he possesses the ability to make him a true champion.

And as for other young Indigenous people out there shooting for the top, Daniel offers the same advice which got him to where he is today:

“Never give up,” he says. “Keep trying, no matter what.”

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Deadly Vibe extracts from Issue 132 February 2008. Reproduced with kind permission of VIBE Australia Pty. Ltd

Extract 2: Love’s young dream. A proud Ngoongar woman takes on one of theatre’s most famous roles – Kylie Farmer

It’s the world’s greatest love story – a tale of star-crossed lovers and feuding families, poetry and passion, humour and tragedy. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet may be over 400 years old but this beautiful play still draws audiences in droves.

The latest major production of Romeo and Juliet is currently being staged at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne by the Australian Shakespeare Company. And, in what may well be an Australian first, an Aboriginal woman is playing the role of Juliet.

Kylie Farmer, whose traditional Ngoongar name is Kaarjilba Kaardn, won the role of Juliet after sending in an audition tape from her hometown of Perth. After having spent most of her career performing in Indigenous productions, 27-year-old Kylie is relishing the opportunity to try something new; stepping away from being typecast in traditional Aboriginal roles.

“It’s like learning a new language,” she says of the Shakespearean text. “But the more I learn about it and study it, the more I realise that Shakespeare really was a genius.”

Kylie has also drawn from her own experiences of love to help her capture the essence of her character. “Having such a wonderful man in real life has really helped me to play the role of Juliet,” she says sweetly.

The play has been modernised for this production, with contemporary clothing and music, including hip hop. The ball scene, during which Romeo and Juliet see each other for the first time and fall in love, also features Indigenous dancing.

“It’s a very multicultural production, actually,” Kylie says. “The cast includes people from India, Italy and the Netherlands.”

Also starring in the production as Tybalt – Juliet’s cousin and Romeo’s rival – is Indigenous actor and playwright Kamahi Djordan-King. Romeo is played by Glenn van Oosterom, who is of Irish and Dutch descent.

The outdoor setting – Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens – adds another exciting element to the performance, and has made the whole experience even more exciting for Kylie. “The atmosphere is fantastic,” Kylie enthuses. “There are no restrictions, like there can be in a theatre.

“I also love that after each performance I can walk home through the gardens, and soak up the beautiful surroundings.”

While acting is her chosen profession, Kylie’s greatest passion is her family and her culture, of which she is immensely proud.

“My culture has been my priority from day one,” she says. “My heart and soul are with my home, and family always comes first.”

Kylie not only speaks the Ngoongar dialect Balardong, she has also learned traditional skills such as tool-making, hunting and gathering, traditional medicine and making fire, and is dedicated to passing on traditional knowledge to the younger generation.

“I’ve done a lot of workshops with young kids,” she says. “I help them to understand their identity. Before you can go anywhere in life, you need to know who you are, and so I help them to realise who they are and where they come from.”

As for taking on any future Shakespearean roles, Kylie is not averse to the challenge, but would love to do more work in film. She has just finished working in Richard Franklin’s new film, To Hell and Back, which also stars Luke Carroll.

“Still, acting is a tough business, and beggars can’t be choosers,” Kylie says cheerfully.

“But I have absolute faith in my pathway, wherever it takes me.”