Libby Cook Black - NAIDOC week yarn

Libby is a Torres Strait Island woman, born on Thursday Island but her family from the eastern island Erub (Darnely).

She grew up in North and Far North Queensland, between Mackay and Cairns. She was fortunate enough to play representative netball at school which landed her a scholarship to Pymble Ladies College in Sydney, where she attended year 11 and 12.

From there, she went on to University at UNSW before transferring her studies back to Queensland. On moving back to Queensland she switched a netball dress for some rugby pants and started playing Rugby Sevens and Rugby League concurrently where she fell in love with tackling people.

She was again really fortunate to go on to play rugby sevens for Queensland Reds and Australian University.

At the same time in Feb 2016 she played her first big representative rugby league game with the Indigenous Allstars at Suncorp stadium. From this game she was selected for the Jillaroos and debuted. A couple months later she played for Queensland in the women's interstate cup (now the women state of origin).

At selection camp for the Indigenous Allstars 2017, Libby unfortunately tore her ACL. So she was out of the running for World Cup Selection. Whilst Rehabbing her knee she fell pregnant with her son who is now 2. After having him she began training again, only to tear her articular cartilage completely. So she had surgery to have it removed. And have been training to run in a straight line pain free ever since.

Then she decided that being a single mum, working full time and studying wasn't enough, she put her hat in the ring for the Indigenous Marathon Project and was successful.

Libby successfully completed the Deadly Runners marathon in Alice Springs a week ago. Big congratulations to her.