Melbourne, Australia, 3 November 2023 | Tennis Australia

Tennis Australia is collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander preventative health program Deadly Choices for a second year in an initiative to empower Indigenous Australians to make healthy choices.

Deadly Choices encourages participants to get active, eat healthily, quit smoking/vaping and connect with their local Community Controlled Health Service for a 715 Health Check.

Community members who complete a health check receive a specially designed Tennis Australia, Australian Open and Deadly Choices shirt and go in the draw to win an ultimate AO experience, including flights and accommodation to Melbourne, tickets to the AO on First Nations Day (Wednesday 17 January), a meet and greet with tennis legends, an on-court hit on one of the arenas, and Rod Laver Arena tickets.

“We are delighted to collaborate with the incredible team at Deadly Choices for a second year to promote healthy choices in First Nations communities,” Tennis Australia Head of Inclusion and Diversity Kerry Tavrou said.

“Last year’s partnership proved highly successful with more than two thousand signature shirts handed out following health checks. We hope to build on last year’s program and encourage an even greater uptake this year.

“We are very excited to offer another ultimate AO experience on First Nations Day for winners of the Tennis Australia and Deadly Choices competition. This year the winners had a hit on-court with Ash Barty and met Evonne Goolagong Cawley, which is an experience I’m sure none of them will ever forget.”

The partnership will be supported and promoted in Victoria by Deadly Choices’ longstanding partner, the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS), which delivers education programs and health promotion initiatives across Melbourne.

“We saw during the first year of the Tennis Australia and Deadly Choices partnership how enthusiastically community responded to the joint health promotion. Importantly, this translated into health checks to kickstart the New Year for VAHS and the numerous other community-controlled health service areas across the country,” said VAHS CEO Michael Graham.

“Health checks involve a comprehensive medical review to check on an individual’s overall health and manage any potential areas of concern that could contribute to the development of chronic illness into the future.

“So, it really is one of the most significant preventative health tools available and we thank Tennis Australia, through the Deadly Choices program, for assisting our ongoing efforts in closing the health and life expectancy gap among our Mob.

“We have a new suite of Tennis Australia Deadly Choices shirts available in-clinic, featuring the amazing artworks of local Indigenous artist Bitja (Dixon Patten), which will again draw a lot of interest which ultimately means healthier, happier families and communities.”

The Tennis Australia and Deadly Choices competition provides the opportunity for any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person to book in for a 715 Health Check at a participating Community Controlled Health Service, receive a specially designed shirt and automatically be in the draw to win the ultimate AO Experience on 17 January 2024. Community can find their closest clinic and book in at deadlychoices.com.au/health-checks/where-to-get-a-health-check/.