Piper first started raising money to fund swimming lessons for Aboriginal kids in 2018 after realising that many Aboriginal children couldn’t afford swimming lessons and couldn’t compete in any swimming races. The charity has since taught over 300 First Nations children to swim and raised more than $40,000.

Could you tell us a little bit about your story and your journey to founding Bambigi?

When I was 12, I joined the squad at my local pool, and I realised that there wasn't a lot of other Indigenous kids in school at all or even at the pool. I went home that night and I asked Mum, “Why is there no one in the squad? Why is there no one at the pool?”. She explained to me that school fees are a couple hundred, not just for a term but for a yearly fee, and the pool fee is a couple of dollars as well. So, not many Indigenous people can afford to come to the pool or learn to swim. That encouraged me to start raising money for Indigenous kids to have swimming lessons.

We also had several deaths in our community as we have a channel that runs to the middle of town and a river a couple of kilometres out. So, that really made me passionate about stopping these deaths and trying to make a change within my Indigenous community.

Piper wears Aplomb One-Piece in Aster.

Last year, you were awarded Young Innovator of the Year. What goals do you have for Bambigi and yourself this year?

Being awarded Young Innovator of the Year really meant a lot to me. It showed me that all my hard work in the community has finally paid off and recognised. It also spread awareness of how Indigenous people are four times more likely to drown. Getting that message out there, not just for my community but other communities to understand as well, and raise awareness around water safety.

Now that I've just moved to Sydney, I'll go to the councils and discuss with the Aboriginal community members and possibly start Bambigi if there is a need in the community.

Piper wears Aplomb One-Piece in Aster.

It's clear that swimming means a great deal to you. What's your earliest memory of swimming, and how does it make you feel?

Swimming does mean a lot to me. It's been a part of my life since I was eight years old. That's when I started competing all the way up to my last year of high school, so a couple of years.

My first memory of swimming is not probably the best one. I hated swimming when I was younger. Putting my head under the water was the biggest fear for me, so I didn't put my head under the water till I was like eight years old - just before I started swimming. I was at swimming lessons, and Mum made the instructor just throw me under the water. From then on, I was fine!

I've come a long way since then, and I’ve really enjoyed it. It's something that distracted me from the worries of school and the rest of my life, and it was just a bit of a getaway for me.

Piper wears Aplomb Standard Waist in Cosmic.

And what's it like for you now? What does it mean to you now coming into adulthood?

It's definitely something I look back on, and I'm very thankful for. Thankful that I had a sport that I could escape with. Thankful for the opportunities I've had through it. I've not just been a part of the Southern Inland Swimming Association team, but I've also had Bambigi, I've made state and nationals. They've all been something that I've really been proud to achieve. As a swim instructor and coach, they’ve definitely made me more passionate about helping my swimmers and students to hopefully achieve those levels and get the feeling of achievement as well.

How does it feel for you personally? Not thinking about goals or anything, just when you're in the water?

When I'm in the water, it's just like everything disappears. It's nice, cold, refreshing on the skin. Each stroke is just one bit closer to leaving everything behind. It's really peaceful and relaxing for me.

How does your Aboriginal heritage impact your connection to water?

I am very passionate about my Aboriginal culture and background. Knowing that there have been so many deaths due to drowning in Indigenous communities, not just my own but other ones as well, definitely made me want to make a change. I wanted to change these statistics as everyone knows Aboriginal people, there's a big gap between them and non-Indigenous Australians, so being able to change just one bit of that gap is me helping my community and my people not just reduce the gap but to have a life skill that can possibly save their lives and other lives as well.

Piper wears Aplomb Standard Two-Piece in Cosmic.

Last year, you were invited to the Australian Olympic Changemakers (AOC) Summit, to be a vital voice for young people in Australia and provide recommendations. Going forward, what voice do you want to have in the sporting world?

In the sporting world, I definitely want to have a voice of “no matter where you come from, your background, your culture, anything like that, everyone has an opportunity to make a change, not just make a change within themselves, within their community, the sporting world. If you're passionate enough and dedicated enough to something, it can be achieved.”

Going to the Olympic Changemakers was definitely this experience for me; showing not just the hard work that I had done, it was Bambigi that had paid off but with swimming as well. We got to talk to so many amazing people. So many amazing people my age were also there.

It was just amazing to meet people from different backgrounds, cultures, parts of Australia and hearing their ideas. Knowing that everything has a possibility to be done and that if you just work for it, you can achieve it.

Piper wears Aplomb One-Piece in Aster.

To find out more about Bambigi visit www.bambigi.org or make a donation at their GoFundMe page.