Mindset: Anthony Mundine reveals powerful lessons of overcoming racism to South West audience

Three-time boxing world champion Anthony Mundine has spoken about facing racism and major obstacles throughout his life to achieve his goals while speaking to a select audience in the South West last week.

The Super League Premiership winner and New South Wales State of Origin representative held three ‘Mundine: Mindset of a Cham’p workshops at the Italian Club in Bunbury on September 21, hosted by the South West Aboriginal Medical Centre.

“Everybody already has their power,” Mundine said.

“We’ve got to teach them the basic skills and the fundamentals of how to get that power back.”

In the context of the current racism scandals rocking the AFL and other smaller sporting clubs around the country, Mundine said people needed to become more educated.

“I was called a black c..., a monkey, all that, you know — all my life when I was young, playing sport,” he said.

“Its part of society, and always will be, but we just have to just try to educate people as much as we can.”

Mundine framed the workshops around helping people use their hardships to help build resilience and work towards their goals, but also to encourage people to ask for help when they need it.

This mindset aligns with the goals of the SWAMS mental health outreach programs in schools, which aim to education young people on sexual health and youth-suicide prevention.

SWAMS mental health services coordinator Justin Brown said the service had a dedicated team with tertiary qualified Aboriginal counsellors and a social worker, alongside specialist mental health workers.

“It is important to reach out if you need support, our Mental Health Team are here for a yarn,” Mr Brown said.