More Than a Uniform: The Story Behind Courtney White's Indigenous Design

Photo Credit - Jenny Feast Photography

As part of NAIDOC Week 2026, the Great Southern Academy of Sport is proud to unveil a new Indigenous training uniform designed by one of our own athletes, Courtney White.

Courtney is a proud Menang woman, WA State Indigenous Netball representative and GSAS scholarship athlete. Her Aboriginal heritage comes through her mother, Stacey White (née Woods), on her maternal family line. Courtney's great-grandmother was born on the Borden Aboriginal Reserve, while her great-grandfather, John Woods, was born at the Gnowangerup Mission. Her family can trace their connection to Country through seven generations, with strong ties to the Menang people and the Bilbel moiety (kinship).

The idea to create an Indigenous uniform was entirely Courtney's own. Wanting to give back to the Academy and create something that represented both culture and sport, she volunteered to design an artwork that tells the story of the regional athlete journey. Thanks to the generous support of Kadadjiny Aboriginal Corporation, that vision has become a reality, with every GSAS athlete receiving a new training shirt featuring Courtney's artwork.

Speaking about the design, Courtney explained:

"We start at the bottom. This represents us as athletes of the Great Southern meeting together, creating the Great Southern Academy of Sport. The woven section represents not just us athletes, but our supporters, families, coaches and even sponsors. Everyone involved connecting together, working together to make us stronger.

Next are the mountains of the Great Southern, but they also represent the heights we as athletes need to climb through training, commitment, hard work, pressure and sometimes difficult situations to achieve our dreams of becoming elite. The yellow dots are the light on the other side of the mountains, whether it be a sunrise or sunset glow. They represent all the achievements, big and small, that we reach along that climb.

Next are the blue curves of our ocean and rivers throughout the Great Southern, representing the flow of an athlete's journey, the hard work against currents, injuries and recovery, time for healing, mental strength, peace of mind and time for reflection. The small dot groups represent the teams and competitions we attend, where we become part of new communities.

The final symbols represent the travel we as regional athletes need to take, and the journey athletes in general take."

For GSAS, this project is about far more than a new training shirt. It is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate First Nations culture, honour Courtney's creativity and leadership, and ensure our athletes wear a uniform that carries genuine meaning, connection and pride to our region.

We extend our sincere thanks to Courtney for sharing her story, culture and artistic talent with the Academy, and to Kadadjiny Aboriginal Corporation for making this project possible. We hope this uniform will serve as a lasting symbol of respect, resilience, community and the shared journey of every Great Southern athlete.