A gameplan for success
Meet Akira Kelly, a proud Yuin/Wailwan Woman and a member of the Communications and Engagement team at WSP. Her role involves managing First Nations engagement across NSW and ensuring that the community has a voice in all WSP projects.
Akira says, “A typical work day involves organising meetings with Elders in the community, giving clients feedback on engagement plans with First Nations people, reporting any interviews with First Nations people and creating outcome reports.
“I also inform our clients about key issues and concerns from the community’s point of view.”
Out of the office, much of Akira’s time is spent on the footy field where she’s honed her skills to such a high level that she was selected for the ACT Brumbies 2023 squad, as a fullback.
Calm under pressure
The Brumbies are a professional rugby union team based in Canberra. They were founded in 1996 and compete in the Super Rugby competition, which involves teams from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the Pacific Islands.
The women’s team was established in 2017 and competes in the Super W competition which features six teams representing different Australian states and territories, plus Fiji.
The team has a strong focus on developing local talent and providing opportunities for women to play rugby at the highest level in Australia.
Akira says, “The sport has had a major influence on how I operate at work and in general life. It’s taught me a great deal about how to overcome setbacks and different types of challenges.”
In rugby, the fullback lines up behind the entire back line. For this reason, their primary role in the team is to act as a sweeper in defence.
In this role, they might have to receive deep kicks from the opposition or tackle onrushing attackers who have broken through the defensive line.
Due to their isolated role on the field, being a fullback means having a big responsibility to the team. Playing in the fullback position requires a strong heart and mind, as well as solid technical skills. All valuable, transferable skills which Akira utilises every day.
“I’ve got such a willingness attitude towards my everyday work here at WSP, thanks to the challenges I’ve faced during my sporting career.
“As a Consultant, I’m involved in the process of identifying project-specific opportunities to collaborate with local Indigenous community members in project planning, design, construction, and operation across the project lifecycle. For example, we may work with Elders to re-interpret a culturally significant site into a virtual experience.
“It’s an important and rewarding job that comes with unique challenges. I need to balance WSP’s responsibility to our clients to deliver great service, with WSP’s responsibility to the First Nations community we’re working with to ensure a win-win situation wherever possible.
“Just like on the field, I have to stay calm under pressure so I can work to the best of my ability and bring it home for the team.”
When it comes to code switching from the field to the office, Akira tries to maintain the same behavior wherever she goes.
“Being an athlete at this level has taught me a lot about professionalism and how I need to present myself. In footy it’s hard at times because you do have little kids that are looking up to you and you do have to watch how you behave in a public setting.
“At work I like to have a joke here and there, but I also maintain the professionalism.”
Akira out in the community engaging with an Elder.
Making her mark on tomorrow
Being a #WSPChangemaker means many things. It’s about challenging the status quo, making your mark on tomorrow and making positive and valuable changes in people's lives.
“Creating change is a massive motivation for me to push myself. I love creating change for First Nations people by giving the community a voice across all the different WSP projects through on-going engagement with local communities.
“From a sporting perspective, having a women’s competition was a long time coming for women's rugby union, and being a part of this evolution as a professional female rugby union player is an incredibly rewarding experience.
“There’s still a long way to go, but this progress is not limited to footy. It encourages a positive impact on female athletes across other sports, paving the way for more opportunities and recognition for women in the sporting world.
“It’s a privilege to be part of this movement towards gender equality in sport and to inspire future generations of female athletes to pursue their dreams, whatever that dream might look like.”
