As the founder of The Female Co, Libby Cook-Black's vision has always been clear: to create a platform where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are empowered with the best opportunities, resources, and support to reach their dreams—whether in sport, in the classroom, or in the workplace.
The Female Co, a not-for-profit organisation based in Cairns and extending throughout Far North Queensland, is dedicated to empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls, alongside women and girls from regional, remote, and discrete communities.
Through access to sport and education, they provide a suite of high-performance programs aimed at nurturing and promoting female talent at various stages of their athletic journeys.
Their offerings include the Elite Athlete Program, Emerging Athlete Program, educational sessions, mentoring, and active promotion of female athletes.
This December, The Female Co's First Nations Academy will officially launch, bringing Ms Cook-Black's vision to life. To her, the Academy is a pathway and more than just a program; it's a foundation built to equip young women with the skills and confidence they need to step into high-performance spaces and thrive.
"We are launching our First Nations Academy in December this year and we are really excited because this is a pathway program to supporting our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes to understand what it takes to commit to a high-performance program," said Ms Cook-Black.
"And this is their taste of what it would be like to be a part of either the emerging or elite program for next year."
Through sport and high-performance principles, The Female Co will be helping young women prepare to stand among the best—giving them the tools, mindset, and support to be high performers in life, not just in sport.
"I guess the way we are using this is to get Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes together, give them a taste in the gym...recovery, give them education around what it takes to commit to a high-performance program within sport, and then hoping they will continue the journey with us next year and in the emerging or elite programs," she said.
The Female Co's declared mission is to close the opportunity gap for women, fostering a community where every woman and girl can achieve her full potential in sports and beyond.
The Female Co says it aims to set young women up for success, ensuring they have "every skill, every support, and every chance to make their dreams a reality".
