September 23, 2025 • 23 mins
The fourth episode of the Mental Fitness Conversations podcast features a powerful yarn with Quaden Bayles, a 14-year-old First Nations actor, award-winning advocate and activist.
In this episode, Quaden speaks openly about how his life changed overnight, from the pain of relentless bullying to the opportunities and challenges of acting in major Hollywood films. What shines through most is his honesty about the role that culture, family and community have played in grounding him, especially after living in Redfern earlier this year where he found a renewed sense of belonging and strength.
Mental Fitness Conversations is part of Gotcha4Life’s mission to create a suicide-free world through stronger connections, inclusive conversations and culturally grounded truth-telling. In partnership with Black Magic Woman, the series explores the depth, strength and diversity of what it means to stay mentally fit, especially for First Nations peoples.
Resources and links
Find out more about Gotcha4Life at www.gotcha4life.org and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @gotcha4life and on Instagram @blackmagicwomanpodcast.
About the podcast
Hosted by award-winning Indigenous businesswoman and Gotcha4Life Board Member Mundanara Bayles, and produced in partnership with Black Magic Woman, Mental Fitness Conversations centres First Nations voices in powerful conversations about culture, connection and what truly sustains mental fitness.
Content note
This episode includes discussion of mental health challenges including bullying which may be confronting. Please practise self-care and reach out if you need support. Services available 24/7 include 13YARN on 13 92 76 and Lifeline on 13 11 14.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Black cast Unite our voices.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Gotcha for Life and Black Magic Woman podcast acknowledges the
traditional owners of the land which we recorded this episode.
We also acknowledge the traditional owners of the land from
where you, the listener or viewer, are tuning in. We
would like to pay our respects to elders both past
and present. We acknowledge that this land always was and
always will be Aboriginal land. This podcast talks about mental health, suicide,
(00:36):
and lived experience. If that brings anything up for you,
please take care while listening and remember you don't need
to worry alone. Welcome to Mental Fitness Conversations, a podcast
about how real people build their mental fitness through connection, community,
and simple everyday actions. Brought to you by Gotcha for
Life in partnership with Black Magic Woman. Here's your host,
(01:00):
Mondon Arabels.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Hey, Welcome to this episode of the Black Magic Woman
and Got Your for Life partnership series. I feel incredibly
just honored to be able to yarn to my nephew today.
He has had the most kind of well, it's not
an extraordinary life, but it's a life that I don't
(01:23):
think anyone in my family would have ever predicted from
just being a kid knocking around and Karina Kennon Hill
Murrarie area to then going on a massive big movie
on the big screen with the mad Max furiosap So
(01:45):
today my nephew Quadon Bows is on the podcast and
I can't wait for for you to hear his story.
For those that don't know Quados, thank you for joining
me to have a yarn today on the podcast for
my listeners. But also we've got viewers on YouTube, believe
it or not, big shout out to them. Can you
tell them a little bit about yourself, so your name,
(02:07):
your mob and a little bit about where'd you grow.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Up by along boy grew up in red Home, born
in Brisbane and yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Tell us, my boy, you've been doing a lot lately,
like you're fourteen, and you know from when you were born,
because you and my boy are like brothers. Right when
we talk about Murrayway, Coreyway, you know first cousins and brothers.
You's are born in the same year. You're six months
apart from Lemki, four months apart. Don't forget that, So
(02:44):
four months apart who's older. Meck is older, so he's
a being like tight since birth, very tight, very tight.
And we used to hang out a lot because you know,
when I gave birth and Lemeki was a little followering,
you're a little followed mean on a yak. Just used
to always hang out together. So we go, you don't
have coffee or breakfast and you know, just go medical center,
(03:08):
do our appointments and stuff together. So you were mecky like.
There's so many photos of used to just back in
the day. So it's lovely to see that you have
still got that relationship. But I remember back in the day.
It was quite some time ago that you was in
a documentary called Australian Story. And I saw this clip
(03:32):
of you on Australian Story and you were in the
trolley and your mum was pushing you, you know, just
getting groceries and he was telling this girl. You were saying,
stop looking at me. And then they'll take photos of you.
Do you remember that? How old was you?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Six seven?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yeah? And people will taking photos of you.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I don't know why.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
And now this is before everything, before everything. What happened
after that? How did you blow up?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
One day I went to school and a bill played school,
so it was all god, she was like a movie group.
And then one little girl's talking about my height and
I just got hip of it. So my mom posted
on the Facebook she just had enough of it and yeah,
one of the producers of Mad Maths, I just wanted
(04:23):
to cry. And then I've got the role there.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
So howld a minute. You're at school one day there's
this girl making fun of you, which is bullying, making
fun of you about your height. You end up having
a bit of a breakdown, a bit of a meltdown,
and mum captured it on video, but she didn't really
capture it. I think she went live and she was
trying to tell parents about the effects of bullying and
(04:52):
what it does. It was like it was her like
a desperate plea for help, like how do I help
my son? And when is this going to end? And
then you get a call from a Hollywood producer, George Miller.
George Miller, what was that like? When you had your
first yarn with him?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Was a bit weird because I didn't really know the
movie at the time, and my brother did and he
was like he was thrilling out. I was like, well,
really that big? And I didn't know. But it was
good talking to him.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, what did he say? Hey, I'm coming to Australia. Yeah,
he's actually from here though he's Australian. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Yeah, I think he's a boy. Okay, but I think
he hasn't maybe I think he lives living there in America. Yeah,
but yeah, who just said we want to book you.
He told me my role and he was like, you're
going to have to die. And he kind of freaked
out when he told me that, and I was like, oh, well,
it's like faked in the movie.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
It's so in the in the movie your character dies. Yeah. Yeah.
What was it like, Like I seen you in the movie,
I've seen you on the big screen, right, Like it
was a long days with lots of like it was
a hard work.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Oh, very hard ten hours and nine hours a day
or two.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Days, yeah, yeah, two whole days. Yeah. So you did
like twenty hours on a film set and you're in
the movie for how long? Oh, I'll take a bit
more pieces five minutes yeah. Yeah, So you're doing like
twenty hours work from five minutes. Would you do it again?
Oh yeah? Hell yeah yeah. What was the highlight of
(06:31):
being in this big Hollywood movie?
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Probably when I said the line the Bobby lockers and
then when I said that I want to do it.
And then as I've done that, I got shot.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Was the highlight. Yeah, and then the big premiere.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Yeah, that's that's a massive what's that like? No, it
was good. I was there right and one of my
I bring my cousins Bally Bells and Real Player. He
was like is Alex Vocoki. I loved the UFC and
Alex Vorganosh was in there and I was like where
were I read up? Like I read so fast off
the photo.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Day and you got it on your Instagram. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
I saw that photo. Who else did you meet? You
met Chris Hamsworth?
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Well, he's in the movie. She's furiosha. Oh yeap order producers.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Yeah, I saw you on the stage. She's all lined up.
You were looking pretty sharp. Yeah that who cost a
bit did it? Yeah? And you had a nice watch. Yeah,
the shoes so you look the part. Looked like a
big Hollywood star. Yeah. And what was it like in
terms of a lot of the bullying that's happened, you
(07:42):
know in your short life because you're only fourteen. Yeah,
and then your life took a completely different path where, well,
let's be honest, people spreaded a lot of misinformation about
you being eighteen and not nine years old at the time,
and the whole world was like going crazy about whether
(08:04):
or not you were a child actor, whether or not
my sister, your mum, Yarika, was a fraud. They thought
she trained you so that you could make money with
the crowdfunding? Yeah, how was all that? It was just.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Stupid the way acted, because what really happened to you?
Your name Brad who made to go fund me. We
didn't have nothing to do with it, and the goal
was digit land, but it went over and went to
shoe hundred k and then I don't know who did
something with it.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Well he wanted to then have all the money. Yeah,
and you're the one being targeted and called a liar. Yeah,
and media and people people were just following you everywhere
and still online, you're still copying a lot of a
lot of negative, nasty messages and comments. So you've had
to shut down your Instagram now.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah, I had a lot of people in their little
famous people and it's got hacked.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
It got hacked, Okay, so someone wanted your account. There's
over thirty fake profiles on Instagram, more than that.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, even Facebook, because what they do is they can't
add people and then they will ask the money.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
So it looks like you're asking people for money.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Yeah, but it's actually people that just made lucky out.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Yeah that's scammers. Yeah. Oh my god, Kaidy, You've had
to keep you know, it's like you're navigating all these
kind of adversities, right, you're navigating things that most adults
don't have to deal with in their lifetime and you're fourteen.
Tell me what's been like some of the positives for you, Like,
(09:50):
you know, even when it comes to using your voice
to kind of help other brothers and sisters, even some
of your family, you know, when they're dealing with kind
of challenges in their life, do you try off for
other people advice to try and support them. Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:06):
All supported me. Now I'll just say, bro, you got this,
but just don't believe what people say, like you can
do it.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
You're trying not for words of encouragement. Yeah. And then
you ended up moving back to Sydney And what was
that move from living in Brisbane and then moving back
to Redfern to the block, what was that like?
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Moving back to the Sydney was like the best thing
that happened in my life, you know, because I was
up here just lonely, depressed, like nothing to do up
here though, I wasn't feeling myself, and I just went
to Sydney. I met all his new brothers, like all
his new maids. I went to school, made new friends,
you know, and the school they all know me there,
(10:47):
like literally the whole school, like I know, from grade
one to grade twelve. Yeah, yeah, like even the principal
like preach me will but yeah, Redferns works out. It's
like literally my first home.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
And it's the first time you got to experience what
it's like to be independent.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
You know. I'm down there for a bit with my arm,
you know, mo more than there, and after kind of
liked it. Amone.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Yeah, what's new? It's something new, and you know what,
everyone has to grow up one day, and you can't
have got an opportunity because your mum and your dad
kind of trusted you to go and take care of
yourself and be independent and actually show your maturity for
your age, right living. What are you in grade nine?
(11:35):
What about work? You're thinking of doing any more work?
Is there anything you're thinking about?
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I'm hoping something comes. I've been waiting, but there's nothing
nothing yet.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Oh, you know, you just got to keep on, keep
doing the hard work right, keep going to school, got
to work, go to work, got to get good grades.
Work pays off, keep training at the gym. What about
when you think about all the other kind of brothers
and sisters that are you know, they're doing well for themselves.
(12:09):
How does that make you feel when other people are
succeeding in the community, you.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Know, like a I feel good when other people see
I don't like when people hate on other people feel
the other's I'll be on their side, you know. Congratulations,
luck to them, you know, glad to them. Yeah, it's
good to see other people succeeded, have their fun, you know,
because someday like I'm going to show you.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Know, or being blackfellow, it's just part of our community
that we lift each other up. And you know, if
you think about Aboriginal culture, it's a collective. We're a
group based society. We're not all about ourselves, so we
don't like when other people left behind. Yeah, it's good
to see other people go through a lot of challenges
(12:58):
being black, a young black man.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Especially at school.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
What's some of the things some of the challenges at school.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
In primary school, you know, it was me and the Mesa.
We just get called named like k or something. But
another thing was we've gone the assembly or a denlule
and also called. They would force us to sing it
because I didn't even know how to sing it, you though,
(13:26):
because I've never taught it and they wanted us to
see it. I'm like, I've never learned it, so yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
You just to get punished for it for not singing it.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
But the thing, well, we never knew what I never
knew how the song went.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Is that interesting? Growing up in your you know, Aboriginal
culture and being proud of being an Aboriginal kid, and
then going to school you're not celebrated, and then you're
dealing with stuff in the playground. Did you ever report
anythink like when kids are calling your names, especially racistly us,
(14:04):
did you ever report it to the teachers?
Speaker 3 (14:07):
To be honest, there was really nothing we could do
about it, because all the teacher would girls just yell
at them. But that wasn't enough. You've got to go
to the parents. But yeah, there's nothing we could really do.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
And you're you're only in grade three, Craty. What would
you say to other young kids, young teenagers that are
listening to this yarn, whether they're black fathers, white fellas
from Africa or China, doesn't matter what nationality they are,
if they're dealing with some of this now, even in
(14:42):
the school yard or even on social media, what advice
would you give to them?
Speaker 3 (14:47):
To be honest, old, I'd just to give some advice, say,
like you be brave and just have a saying loads
or like if we see their parents go up to
their parents and your son told me this and called
me this name, and that's okay. If no one ever
said someone who you just have a say and say
(15:09):
something back, fight against you.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
You know, it starts with the parents.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Say go to the parents first.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Yeah, a lot of I reckon, a lot of young
people in schools right across this country. I reckon they're
going to be listening to this podcast. It's not a
nice thing to talk about, you know, bullying and stuff.
But what have you learned from those experiences that you've
had which haven't been the most pleasant? What have you learned?
(15:37):
It's taught me a lot.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
I've got more brain from it, you know, I know
how to control it with if no one is bullying.
I know what to do or what to say. Okay,
you don't say that, you know that's wrong. Yeah, it's
also made me brave with a bigger person.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
And who do you talk to normally when you're feeling
like you're not coping, You're not you're not dealing with
things in your life.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Probably wild big brother? Yeah, yeah, has.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
He been giving you some good advice?
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Now we don't really do. We just have a you know,
we frut, you know, to be honest by it's just
life at the moment, not much at all about it
when you're in the country.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Like this, And isn't that sad sometimes to think about
that you know that you're going to be dealing with
this stuff for probably the rest of your life.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Yeah, but you have some better days over others.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
A lot more positive than the negative.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
More positive. Yeah. Well that's good because you know what,
You've got a really deadly kind of community that's been
around you, and you've got a lot of non indigenous supporters,
a lot of people that are your biggest supporters. And
I meet a lot of them all the time, and
a lot of them want to meet you. See if
you're all right? So what about sports? You love sports? Yeah? Yeah,
(17:00):
you love the Bunnies yea and the Tigers and you've
met him all I.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
Met most of the bunnies, but yeah, a couple of times. Players.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Who do you want to meet? Who's on your hit
list that you can't wait to meet?
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Real?
Speaker 1 (17:14):
And he plays for the Warriors? Now, yeah, you love sports? Sports?
In my life? How did you get into playing sports?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Really? My brother and my dad just grow up always
going to my brother's footy games as a little kid,
and then yeah, I just got into it like that,
mm hmm around Luck playing basketball and then my brother playing.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
I think it's so good that you got older cousins
and kind of role models that you can look up to.
How important is it to have some of those role
models in the community.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
It's very important, you know Luck I up to my day.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
He's a good role model. Yeah. What is he a
plumber or electrician? What does he do? Carpenter? Yeah? Yeah
for fear four year brought his own new got a
good job, plays footy, moved out of home. That's going
to be you. That's only one day you look forward
to driving? Yeah, I went. How far are you away
(18:18):
to get your Learners sixteen next year. Yeah, can't wait.
My boy's got to be on the road. Watch out, kwaity.
I'm really glad that I finally got you to come
onto podcast, especially for this really important topic around mental fitness.
(18:38):
And that's the work that I do while I sit
on the board. It got you for life. You know,
we're trying to support, especially young people when it comes
to you know, teaching people some of those coping mechanisms
to be able to support themselves, especially when life throws
different things at your year. One day, everything's all good,
(19:00):
next day you might not be feeling one hundred percent.
So trying to get out there to schools and you know,
deliver these programs to young people. Do you think when
you was in grade say five, grade six, if they
got YOUA for life, came into the school and you're
already learning about, you know, your mental fitness and building
(19:21):
your emotional muscle, do you think that would have helped
you in terms of dealing with some of the bullying. Yeah,
help a lot, you know, And there's nothing out there, really,
there's not really good school.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
I wonder el was learning about Cinderella's drub and shoe.
I'm not just.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Not doing this, not learning anything. So we need to
get Gotcha for Life out there into more schools and
hopefully with this podcast partnership, we can have more mob
go through some of the Gotcha for Life programs. Sure,
I'm excited that you're part of this amazing partnership and
more people that even if they don't know your story,
(20:07):
now they're going to know. You know that you're just
another kid. Well you're not a kid. You're a young man.
You're looking forward to getting your license and you're looking
for the next big thing. You want to get back
into acting. You're waiting for the call. Yeah, I can't wait,
my boy, to see what's next for you. So if
you want to give anyone a shout out.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Shout up to shout at their heads up, barbershop.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Heads up, barbershop and deadly. I'm just going to say
really quickly, Red Ferm Community Center has been a really
good place for you to go and hang out and
just a place where you feel like you belong. That's
really important, isn't.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
It's like family there. You know, there's all the boys,
like literally know everyone's namely, you know everyone have a laugh,
play basketball.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
I know you want to get back to Sydney your
feet to itch you to go and hang out with
the boys again. I'll have to make it happen. I
get him back to Sydney to see the boys in
the school holidays. For all you mob that have been listening,
it's been quite some time since I've had an opportunity
to catch up with my nephew quaidos and man his
story if you haven't followed, The Australian Story on ABC
(21:22):
is a really good documentary and there's two lots. They
done a story and then came back and done another
story to kind of see, you know, what Quayden has
been up to and the kind of life that he's
living now, which you can see he's enjoying every minute
of it, but still has some of those moments where
(21:43):
life's not one hundred percent and he did mention some
things around racism. I just want to make a point
that if it's made anyone feel a little bit triggered,
we do have a national hotline one three YARN. I
want a big shout out to the mob at Redfern
Youth Connect for providing a culturally safe spy for our
(22:04):
young people to go and hang out a place where
they feel proud of who they are as abational kids,
and a place where that they feel where they belong.
Love the work that you do, Annie Marg and Uncle Soul.
Big shout out to all the staff there and all
the volunteers, and yeah, if anyone wants to support some
of the work in our community, reach out to Redfern
(22:25):
Youth Connect.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Well.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
This has been an amazing opportunity to finally have my
nephew Quaydon Bales on the Black Magic Women podcast. Thanks
to Gotcha for Life for this partnership series, and I
hope you come back and listen to the next episode
because we've got someone else that's really deadly as well.
To stay tuned to the Gotcha for Life partnership series.
(22:47):
I hope you've enjoyed this year. Until next time, Vibe
for now.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Thanks for tuning in to mental fitness conversations. Keep building
your emotional muscles with the free Mental Fitness Jim packed
with tools, tips, and everyday actions to support your mental fitness.
Download it from the App Store or Google play Store
or visit the Mentalfitnessgym dot org. If anything in this
episode brought something up for you, you don't have to worry alone,
(23:14):
reach out to a trusted friend or family member and
know that support is available. You can contact Lifeline on
one three, double one, one four or one three yarn
at one three nine two seven six for free and
confidential support for Aboriginal and torrostraight Islander people. If you
enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating, share it with
(23:34):
someone in your village, or drop us a message. We'd
love to hear what you think, and don't forget to
follow Black Magic Woman and Gotcha for Life on all
socials to keep the conversation going.
Black cast Unite our voices.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Gotcha for Life and Black Magic Woman podcast acknowledges the
traditional owners of the land which we recorded this episode.
We also acknowledge the traditional owners of the land from
where you, the listener or viewer, are tuning in. We
would like to pay our respects to elders both past
and present. We acknowledge that this land always was and
always will be Aboriginal land. This podcast talks about mental health, suicide,
(00:36):
and lived experience. If that brings anything up for you,
please take care while listening and remember you don't need
to worry alone. Welcome to Mental Fitness Conversations, a podcast
about how real people build their mental fitness through connection, community,
and simple everyday actions. Brought to you by Gotcha for
Life in partnership with Black Magic Woman. Here's your host,
(01:00):
Mondon Arabels.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Hey, Welcome to this episode of the Black Magic Woman
and Got Your for Life partnership series. I feel incredibly
just honored to be able to yarn to my nephew today.
He has had the most kind of well, it's not
an extraordinary life, but it's a life that I don't
(01:23):
think anyone in my family would have ever predicted from
just being a kid knocking around and Karina Kennon Hill
Murrarie area to then going on a massive big movie
on the big screen with the mad Max furiosap So
(01:45):
today my nephew Quadon Bows is on the podcast and
I can't wait for for you to hear his story.
For those that don't know Quados, thank you for joining
me to have a yarn today on the podcast for
my listeners. But also we've got viewers on YouTube, believe
it or not, big shout out to them. Can you
tell them a little bit about yourself, so your name,
(02:07):
your mob and a little bit about where'd you grow.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Up by along boy grew up in red Home, born
in Brisbane and yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Tell us, my boy, you've been doing a lot lately,
like you're fourteen, and you know from when you were born,
because you and my boy are like brothers. Right when
we talk about Murrayway, Coreyway, you know first cousins and brothers.
You's are born in the same year. You're six months
apart from Lemki, four months apart. Don't forget that, So
(02:44):
four months apart who's older. Meck is older, so he's
a being like tight since birth, very tight, very tight.
And we used to hang out a lot because you know,
when I gave birth and Lemeki was a little followering,
you're a little followed mean on a yak. Just used
to always hang out together. So we go, you don't
have coffee or breakfast and you know, just go medical center,
(03:08):
do our appointments and stuff together. So you were mecky like.
There's so many photos of used to just back in
the day. So it's lovely to see that you have
still got that relationship. But I remember back in the day.
It was quite some time ago that you was in
a documentary called Australian Story. And I saw this clip
(03:32):
of you on Australian Story and you were in the
trolley and your mum was pushing you, you know, just
getting groceries and he was telling this girl. You were saying,
stop looking at me. And then they'll take photos of you.
Do you remember that? How old was you?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Six seven?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yeah? And people will taking photos of you.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I don't know why.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
And now this is before everything, before everything. What happened
after that? How did you blow up?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
One day I went to school and a bill played school,
so it was all god, she was like a movie group.
And then one little girl's talking about my height and
I just got hip of it. So my mom posted
on the Facebook she just had enough of it and yeah,
one of the producers of Mad Maths, I just wanted
(04:23):
to cry. And then I've got the role there.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
So howld a minute. You're at school one day there's
this girl making fun of you, which is bullying, making
fun of you about your height. You end up having
a bit of a breakdown, a bit of a meltdown,
and mum captured it on video, but she didn't really
capture it. I think she went live and she was
trying to tell parents about the effects of bullying and
(04:52):
what it does. It was like it was her like
a desperate plea for help, like how do I help
my son? And when is this going to end? And
then you get a call from a Hollywood producer, George Miller.
George Miller, what was that like? When you had your
first yarn with him?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Was a bit weird because I didn't really know the
movie at the time, and my brother did and he
was like he was thrilling out. I was like, well,
really that big? And I didn't know. But it was
good talking to him.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, what did he say? Hey, I'm coming to Australia. Yeah,
he's actually from here though he's Australian. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Yeah, I think he's a boy. Okay, but I think
he hasn't maybe I think he lives living there in America. Yeah,
but yeah, who just said we want to book you.
He told me my role and he was like, you're
going to have to die. And he kind of freaked
out when he told me that, and I was like, oh, well,
it's like faked in the movie.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
It's so in the in the movie your character dies. Yeah. Yeah.
What was it like, Like I seen you in the movie,
I've seen you on the big screen, right, Like it
was a long days with lots of like it was
a hard work.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Oh, very hard ten hours and nine hours a day
or two.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Days, yeah, yeah, two whole days. Yeah. So you did
like twenty hours on a film set and you're in
the movie for how long? Oh, I'll take a bit
more pieces five minutes yeah. Yeah, So you're doing like
twenty hours work from five minutes. Would you do it again?
Oh yeah? Hell yeah yeah. What was the highlight of
(06:31):
being in this big Hollywood movie?
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Probably when I said the line the Bobby lockers and
then when I said that I want to do it.
And then as I've done that, I got shot.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Was the highlight. Yeah, and then the big premiere.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Yeah, that's that's a massive what's that like? No, it
was good. I was there right and one of my
I bring my cousins Bally Bells and Real Player. He
was like is Alex Vocoki. I loved the UFC and
Alex Vorganosh was in there and I was like where
were I read up? Like I read so fast off
the photo.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Day and you got it on your Instagram. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
I saw that photo. Who else did you meet? You
met Chris Hamsworth?
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Well, he's in the movie. She's furiosha. Oh yeap order producers.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Yeah, I saw you on the stage. She's all lined up.
You were looking pretty sharp. Yeah that who cost a
bit did it? Yeah? And you had a nice watch. Yeah,
the shoes so you look the part. Looked like a
big Hollywood star. Yeah. And what was it like in
terms of a lot of the bullying that's happened, you
(07:42):
know in your short life because you're only fourteen. Yeah,
and then your life took a completely different path where, well,
let's be honest, people spreaded a lot of misinformation about
you being eighteen and not nine years old at the time,
and the whole world was like going crazy about whether
(08:04):
or not you were a child actor, whether or not
my sister, your mum, Yarika, was a fraud. They thought
she trained you so that you could make money with
the crowdfunding? Yeah, how was all that? It was just.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Stupid the way acted, because what really happened to you?
Your name Brad who made to go fund me. We
didn't have nothing to do with it, and the goal
was digit land, but it went over and went to
shoe hundred k and then I don't know who did
something with it.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Well he wanted to then have all the money. Yeah,
and you're the one being targeted and called a liar. Yeah,
and media and people people were just following you everywhere
and still online, you're still copying a lot of a
lot of negative, nasty messages and comments. So you've had
to shut down your Instagram now.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah, I had a lot of people in their little
famous people and it's got hacked.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
It got hacked, Okay, so someone wanted your account. There's
over thirty fake profiles on Instagram, more than that.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, even Facebook, because what they do is they can't
add people and then they will ask the money.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
So it looks like you're asking people for money.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Yeah, but it's actually people that just made lucky out.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Yeah that's scammers. Yeah. Oh my god, Kaidy, You've had
to keep you know, it's like you're navigating all these
kind of adversities, right, you're navigating things that most adults
don't have to deal with in their lifetime and you're fourteen.
Tell me what's been like some of the positives for you, Like,
(09:50):
you know, even when it comes to using your voice
to kind of help other brothers and sisters, even some
of your family, you know, when they're dealing with kind
of challenges in their life, do you try off for
other people advice to try and support them. Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:06):
All supported me. Now I'll just say, bro, you got this,
but just don't believe what people say, like you can
do it.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
You're trying not for words of encouragement. Yeah. And then
you ended up moving back to Sydney And what was
that move from living in Brisbane and then moving back
to Redfern to the block, what was that like?
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Moving back to the Sydney was like the best thing
that happened in my life, you know, because I was
up here just lonely, depressed, like nothing to do up
here though, I wasn't feeling myself, and I just went
to Sydney. I met all his new brothers, like all
his new maids. I went to school, made new friends,
you know, and the school they all know me there,
(10:47):
like literally the whole school, like I know, from grade
one to grade twelve. Yeah, yeah, like even the principal
like preach me will but yeah, Redferns works out. It's
like literally my first home.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
And it's the first time you got to experience what
it's like to be independent.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
You know. I'm down there for a bit with my arm,
you know, mo more than there, and after kind of
liked it. Amone.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Yeah, what's new? It's something new, and you know what,
everyone has to grow up one day, and you can't
have got an opportunity because your mum and your dad
kind of trusted you to go and take care of
yourself and be independent and actually show your maturity for
your age, right living. What are you in grade nine?
(11:35):
What about work? You're thinking of doing any more work?
Is there anything you're thinking about?
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I'm hoping something comes. I've been waiting, but there's nothing
nothing yet.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Oh, you know, you just got to keep on, keep
doing the hard work right, keep going to school, got
to work, go to work, got to get good grades.
Work pays off, keep training at the gym. What about
when you think about all the other kind of brothers
and sisters that are you know, they're doing well for themselves.
(12:09):
How does that make you feel when other people are
succeeding in the community, you.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Know, like a I feel good when other people see
I don't like when people hate on other people feel
the other's I'll be on their side, you know. Congratulations,
luck to them, you know, glad to them. Yeah, it's
good to see other people succeeded, have their fun, you know,
because someday like I'm going to show you.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Know, or being blackfellow, it's just part of our community
that we lift each other up. And you know, if
you think about Aboriginal culture, it's a collective. We're a
group based society. We're not all about ourselves, so we
don't like when other people left behind. Yeah, it's good
to see other people go through a lot of challenges
(12:58):
being black, a young black man.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Especially at school.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
What's some of the things some of the challenges at school.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
In primary school, you know, it was me and the Mesa.
We just get called named like k or something. But
another thing was we've gone the assembly or a denlule
and also called. They would force us to sing it
because I didn't even know how to sing it, you though,
(13:26):
because I've never taught it and they wanted us to
see it. I'm like, I've never learned it, so yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
You just to get punished for it for not singing it.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
But the thing, well, we never knew what I never
knew how the song went.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Is that interesting? Growing up in your you know, Aboriginal
culture and being proud of being an Aboriginal kid, and
then going to school you're not celebrated, and then you're
dealing with stuff in the playground. Did you ever report
anythink like when kids are calling your names, especially racistly us,
(14:04):
did you ever report it to the teachers?
Speaker 3 (14:07):
To be honest, there was really nothing we could do
about it, because all the teacher would girls just yell
at them. But that wasn't enough. You've got to go
to the parents. But yeah, there's nothing we could really do.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
And you're you're only in grade three, Craty. What would
you say to other young kids, young teenagers that are
listening to this yarn, whether they're black fathers, white fellas
from Africa or China, doesn't matter what nationality they are,
if they're dealing with some of this now, even in
(14:42):
the school yard or even on social media, what advice
would you give to them?
Speaker 3 (14:47):
To be honest, old, I'd just to give some advice, say,
like you be brave and just have a saying loads
or like if we see their parents go up to
their parents and your son told me this and called
me this name, and that's okay. If no one ever
said someone who you just have a say and say
(15:09):
something back, fight against you.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
You know, it starts with the parents.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Say go to the parents first.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Yeah, a lot of I reckon, a lot of young
people in schools right across this country. I reckon they're
going to be listening to this podcast. It's not a
nice thing to talk about, you know, bullying and stuff.
But what have you learned from those experiences that you've
had which haven't been the most pleasant? What have you learned?
(15:37):
It's taught me a lot.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
I've got more brain from it, you know, I know
how to control it with if no one is bullying.
I know what to do or what to say. Okay,
you don't say that, you know that's wrong. Yeah, it's
also made me brave with a bigger person.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
And who do you talk to normally when you're feeling
like you're not coping, You're not you're not dealing with
things in your life.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Probably wild big brother? Yeah, yeah, has.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
He been giving you some good advice?
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Now we don't really do. We just have a you know,
we frut, you know, to be honest by it's just
life at the moment, not much at all about it
when you're in the country.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Like this, And isn't that sad sometimes to think about
that you know that you're going to be dealing with
this stuff for probably the rest of your life.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Yeah, but you have some better days over others.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
A lot more positive than the negative.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
More positive. Yeah. Well that's good because you know what,
You've got a really deadly kind of community that's been
around you, and you've got a lot of non indigenous supporters,
a lot of people that are your biggest supporters. And
I meet a lot of them all the time, and
a lot of them want to meet you. See if
you're all right? So what about sports? You love sports? Yeah? Yeah,
(17:00):
you love the Bunnies yea and the Tigers and you've
met him all I.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
Met most of the bunnies, but yeah, a couple of times. Players.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Who do you want to meet? Who's on your hit
list that you can't wait to meet?
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Real?
Speaker 1 (17:14):
And he plays for the Warriors? Now, yeah, you love sports? Sports?
In my life? How did you get into playing sports?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Really? My brother and my dad just grow up always
going to my brother's footy games as a little kid,
and then yeah, I just got into it like that,
mm hmm around Luck playing basketball and then my brother playing.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
I think it's so good that you got older cousins
and kind of role models that you can look up to.
How important is it to have some of those role
models in the community.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
It's very important, you know Luck I up to my day.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
He's a good role model. Yeah. What is he a
plumber or electrician? What does he do? Carpenter? Yeah? Yeah
for fear four year brought his own new got a
good job, plays footy, moved out of home. That's going
to be you. That's only one day you look forward
to driving? Yeah, I went. How far are you away
(18:18):
to get your Learners sixteen next year. Yeah, can't wait.
My boy's got to be on the road. Watch out, kwaity.
I'm really glad that I finally got you to come
onto podcast, especially for this really important topic around mental fitness.
(18:38):
And that's the work that I do while I sit
on the board. It got you for life. You know,
we're trying to support, especially young people when it comes
to you know, teaching people some of those coping mechanisms
to be able to support themselves, especially when life throws
different things at your year. One day, everything's all good,
(19:00):
next day you might not be feeling one hundred percent.
So trying to get out there to schools and you know,
deliver these programs to young people. Do you think when
you was in grade say five, grade six, if they
got YOUA for life, came into the school and you're
already learning about, you know, your mental fitness and building
(19:21):
your emotional muscle, do you think that would have helped
you in terms of dealing with some of the bullying. Yeah,
help a lot, you know, And there's nothing out there, really,
there's not really good school.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
I wonder el was learning about Cinderella's drub and shoe.
I'm not just.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Not doing this, not learning anything. So we need to
get Gotcha for Life out there into more schools and
hopefully with this podcast partnership, we can have more mob
go through some of the Gotcha for Life programs. Sure,
I'm excited that you're part of this amazing partnership and
more people that even if they don't know your story,
(20:07):
now they're going to know. You know that you're just
another kid. Well you're not a kid. You're a young man.
You're looking forward to getting your license and you're looking
for the next big thing. You want to get back
into acting. You're waiting for the call. Yeah, I can't wait,
my boy, to see what's next for you. So if
you want to give anyone a shout out.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Shout up to shout at their heads up, barbershop.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Heads up, barbershop and deadly. I'm just going to say
really quickly, Red Ferm Community Center has been a really
good place for you to go and hang out and
just a place where you feel like you belong. That's
really important, isn't.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
It's like family there. You know, there's all the boys,
like literally know everyone's namely, you know everyone have a laugh,
play basketball.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
I know you want to get back to Sydney your
feet to itch you to go and hang out with
the boys again. I'll have to make it happen. I
get him back to Sydney to see the boys in
the school holidays. For all you mob that have been listening,
it's been quite some time since I've had an opportunity
to catch up with my nephew quaidos and man his
story if you haven't followed, The Australian Story on ABC
(21:22):
is a really good documentary and there's two lots. They
done a story and then came back and done another
story to kind of see, you know, what Quayden has
been up to and the kind of life that he's
living now, which you can see he's enjoying every minute
of it, but still has some of those moments where
(21:43):
life's not one hundred percent and he did mention some
things around racism. I just want to make a point
that if it's made anyone feel a little bit triggered,
we do have a national hotline one three YARN. I
want a big shout out to the mob at Redfern
Youth Connect for providing a culturally safe spy for our
(22:04):
young people to go and hang out a place where
they feel proud of who they are as abational kids,
and a place where that they feel where they belong.
Love the work that you do, Annie Marg and Uncle Soul.
Big shout out to all the staff there and all
the volunteers, and yeah, if anyone wants to support some
of the work in our community, reach out to Redfern
(22:25):
Youth Connect.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Well.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
This has been an amazing opportunity to finally have my
nephew Quaydon Bales on the Black Magic Women podcast. Thanks
to Gotcha for Life for this partnership series, and I
hope you come back and listen to the next episode
because we've got someone else that's really deadly as well.
To stay tuned to the Gotcha for Life partnership series.
(22:47):
I hope you've enjoyed this year. Until next time, Vibe
for now.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Thanks for tuning in to mental fitness conversations. Keep building
your emotional muscles with the free Mental Fitness Jim packed
with tools, tips, and everyday actions to support your mental fitness.
Download it from the App Store or Google play Store
or visit the Mentalfitnessgym dot org. If anything in this
episode brought something up for you, you don't have to worry alone,
(23:14):
reach out to a trusted friend or family member and
know that support is available. You can contact Lifeline on
one three, double one, one four or one three yarn
at one three nine two seven six for free and
confidential support for Aboriginal and torrostraight Islander people. If you
enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating, share it with
(23:34):
someone in your village, or drop us a message. We'd
love to hear what you think, and don't forget to
follow Black Magic Woman and Gotcha for Life on all
socials to keep the conversation going.
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