Last year was a big 12 months for Coby with the Wiradjuri teenager successfully auditioning for the NSW Aboriginal Dance Company (in partnership with the prestigious Bangarra Dance Company). Coby recalls: “Being one of only 23 dancers in the state to be accepted is probably my proudest achievement so far.” The honour afforded her the opportunity to perform with the company in Sydney, Melbourne, and as a feature act in the 2012 Schools Spectacular – a national event.
In 2012, Coby also competed and placed at club and regional levels in physical culture, coming first in the intermediate section of South Sydney Physical Culture and third at the Morega Regional Champion Girl titles. It is clear that Coby is very passionate about her dancing. “I love dancing. I’ve been doing it since I was little and most days of the week I dance at school. If I could one day dance for Bangarra then that would be amazing.”
Last year the young teen added water polo to her long list of sporting credentials by representing Sydney University at the Under 16s National Championships in Brisbane. “I originally just played at school, then I decided to participate competitively and within the year I was part of the national team,” she said.
Coby also had her first acting role last year. She played the lead in an episode of the National Geographic’s Australia’s Deadliest, the true-life story of Ella Murphy who was attacked by a sea lion whilst surfing in 2007. She remembers: “I had to fall off a speed boat and wear fake blood.” The teenager enjoyed the filming process, however it was challenging at times. “It was difficult to pretend to drown when you’re a swimmer!”
As for the busy training schedules and travelling, proud mother Toni says: “It’s not too difficult because she’s committed, she puts so much hard work into everything she does and it has paid off – look at all the trophies!”
Coby has recently returned to swimming, a sport in which she has already attained success at state level. “She stopped swimming when she started high school because it was just too busy for her to keep up with everything,” mum Toni says. “She’s gone back this year and is now focusing on making it to nationals.”
Also on the cards for 2013, Coby is hoping to successfully audition for the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) and complete their dance course.
Whatever this year has in store for Coby, there is no doubt it will lead her one step closer to achieving her dreams. As Coby’s father Boyda says: “She’s lucky that she’s good at a lot of sports, she has many choices for her career!”
