Taryn Brumfitt, Australian of the Year, founder of the Body Image Movement, and director of the powerful documentaries EMBRACE and EMBRACE KIDS spoke to the Year 9 students this week, after they viewed her documentary Embrace Kids last week.  Taryn Brumfitt is a renowned award-winning filmmaker, bestselling author, and highly sought-after keynote speaker.  She is a fiercely passionate advocate for social change and her message has reached more than 200 million people around the world.

Australian young people describe body image as one of their top five personal concerns. It’s estimated about 28% of males and 35% of females ages 11-24 years are dissatisfied with their appearance.  Our body image is influenced by many factors including the pressure to conform to appearance ideals.

Having a positive body image helps our young people feel good about themselves and supports their wellbeing. They are also more likely to look after their body in other ways, such as eating a balanced diet and having a positive relationship with food.

St Michael’s College Pastoral Care programs across the College seek to be proactive in this space, engaging in partnerships with a range of exceptional speakers and organisations.

Hear from the students

“It was inspiring to see someone actively make a change and fight to reach their goal. It was amazing to hear about her passion when it came to helping others and spreading kindness towards our bodies. She helped me realise that it’s important to prioritise being happy over having the ‘perfect body’. After watching her second film Embrace Kids, I was able to put myself in other peoples’ shoes and see how they are treated and how they feel. This helped me empathise with people whoare different to me and have different opinions and beliefs.”

“This morning I learned to always embrace your body image and don’t hurt your body to make it better. To just love your body how it is. To always be nice to others and don’t judge on looks because personality matters the most. To be a good influence on others and to be persistant and don’t give up early.”

“Taryn is an amazing role model and has made me feel comfortable in my body. “Loving your body is a superpower” is a quote I will take away and reflect upon. I love how she is determined and never gave up, even when things became difficult. I admire how she made sure Embrace, Embrace Kids and next year’s Embrace Men is inclusive, no matter how someone looks, their religion or colour of their skin. She made sure they were/are included.”

Embrace Kids and Taryn’s message, dovetail perfectly with our College Vision and Mission, as they encourage each of us to include everyone around us, and celebrate our enriching differences, knowing, valuing and caring for each other. It reminds us that we each matter, absolutely.

For further information: Embrace Kids – Body Image Movement

This presentation is a part of a 3 faceted initiative which will also embrace parents and caregivers on 21 September, when Taryn connects with the extended community in an evening presentation.