Fun Facts of Young Rural Leaders

Find some fun facts from 10 rural young leaders that come from all across Victoria and read about their stories here! We would love to hear your fun facts also, just comment below.

Escher’s Fun Fact

My fun fact is all about owls! You may already know of their superb ability for silent flight, but did you know that they can locate their prey in 3D space better than almost any other predator? Owls do this by taking advantage of the fact that they have one ear higher than the other. This unique adaptation allows them to figure out exactly where an insect is flying. If an insect flies above them the sound will hit the higher ear first, and vice versa, so this allows them to pinpoint the exact location of any sound as they fly!

Hello! I’m Escher and I’m originally from Ballarat, however I now live on a sheep and cropping farm in Linton. I am currently studying a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne, with a view to becoming a secondary school teacher – and I’m spending some of my time in isolation learning origami!

Rachael’s Fun Fact

One groovy fact that I found recently was that regular moderate exercise can help improve your immune system! A stronger immune system means you are more capable of fighting viruses like Covid-19 and the flu. Seems like a great excuse to break up your time indoors and get that body moving.

My name is Rachel and I’m 20. I’m from Heyfield – a small town in Gippsland and I’m in my second year of Physiotherapy studies at Monash University. I am an energetic, outdoorsy and outgoing person and I tend to thrive in social situations. Online study keeps me quite busy, but I make time to help out on the hobby farm, bake and work on craft projects. I’m learning how to cross stitch at the moment! In usual times I compete in running events, my favourite is the 800m. I am loving that I can do my training over hills in the bush and have been finding creative solutions to gym workouts.

Finn’s Fun Fact

My fun fact is that I have spent more money on bikes than most people’s first car.

I’m Finn, I grew up on a family farm in central Victoria in a small town called Boort. I moved to Melbourne in 2019 to study Mechanical Engineering at Swinburne! I am still studying during this COVID-19 crisis and living in Melbourne. My favourite activities during isolation is my daily exercise riding my bike and cleaning my car regularly!

Alex’s Fun Fact

My fun fact is based off a study conducted by Frontiers In psychology. It found that telling yourself “I can do better” is actually of the best ways to make yourself better at a given task.

I connected with YouThrive during July 2018 on a whim, thinking that the Young Rural Leaders Program would be a good way to entertain myself during the University break. I have since met the most wholesome and talented people and feel proud to be a part of such an amazing community. I grew up in Ocean Grove, then when high school finished, I began a Bachelor of Accounting and Information Systems at Swinburne University. My love for my home (and stubbornness) saw me travelling a 5 hour round trip to university until I began placement in forensics and moved to the big smoke.
The current situation has seen me return home and completing my second placement within risk analytics in pyjama pants and a business shirt.

Rory’s Fun Fact

A fun fact from me is that other strains of corona-virus (not the one causing all the havoc at the moment) cause disease in animals too! Different strains of corona-virus can cause peritonitis in cats and diarrhoea in calves.

G’day, I’m Rory Speirs and I’m from Casterton down in the south-west of Victoria. I completed a Bachelor of Veterinary Bioscience last year and am currently studying my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Adelaide. Being stuck on campus in Adelaide and not at home for isolation means I’m trying to get as much uni study done as possible, including reading up for my clinical research project on twin calving in beef cattle.

Harry’s Fun Fact

Viruses are everywhere. The number of viruses in a litre of sea water outnumber the global population 10:1. But don’t worry the vast majority out there will not impact your health, just maybe corona-virus.

I am from Drysdale, near Geelong, and had the privilege of growing up on farms, a small sheep farm, which became a flourishing cut roses business. It was beautiful in autumn to see a paddock of roses in bloom, until you realised it all had to be pruned.
I am a student, currently living in Melbourne, who would in better circumstances be busy in one of the biomedical laboratories at the University of Melbourne. So instead I am writing my masters thesis from home with the data I have collected so far. Our research hopes to uncover the effects of antiviral factors in our immune system that will help us treat viral infections, such as COVID-19 or the flu.
When I need a distraction from writing I like to make the most of this beautiful Surf Coast!

Ellie’s Fun Fact

A fun fact about me is that I first went camping when I was 3 weeks old and I first went snow camping when I was 10 months old (I think camping is what I am missing most at the moment).

I am Ellie! I am originally from Northcote, Melbourne but moved away to Bendigo to study Primary/Secondary teaching at La Trobe University. I completed my course last year and now live in Geelong and work as a grade 3 teacher in Werribee. I love my job so much and I am so thankful to get to hang out with the best bunch of 8 year-olds every day. As you would know though, now is a very different time for everyone, especially the education system. I have gone from working in a high paced and very people-orientated job to pretty much a desk job. Technology is amazing and I get to interact with my class daily but still don’t get to see their smiling faces. It is a very stressful and new time for us all however I am so thankful that technology has allowed me to keep working.
This time has been a nice reminder that is okay to slow down and do all the things you love. I have been reading so many books, walking and exercising and connecting online with all my friends and family.

Lewis’s Fun Fact

My fun fact is that many common things are misnamed or misunderstood. For example:

• Pythagoras’ theorem was used 1000 years before Pythagoras “discovered” it in ancient Babylon
• Canaries were named after the Canary Islands, not the other way around. The name Canary is derived from canine, due to the abundance of dogs on the island upon its discovery.
• The Panama hat, which became popular due to trade in Panama (the closest point between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans), actually originates from Ecuador, however, was misnamed after many famous Americans were photographed wearing them during the opening of the Panama Canal.

My name is Lewis, and I am currently in my hometown of Shepparton, self-isolating with my parents and the cat. I am a third year Civil Engineering student, and I study at Swinburne University in Melbourne.

Rhordan’s Fun Fact

My fun facts are that my right foot is half a size larger than my left foot and that the average person’s skin completely replaces itself about 900 times in their lifetime.

Hi, I’m Rhordan Holt. I’m 20 years old and I’m an apprentice mechanical engineer. I grew up on a farm near Wedderburn but I currently live in Bendigo close to my workplace. I have three older siblings who have all gone on to University however that was not the path for me. I have always been interested in ‘hands on’ activities, playing different sports and building things at home, which led me to my chosen vocation at NS Engineering. Even though I live in Bendigo, I still play footy and hockey for the Wedderburn Redbacks. I am very attached to my local community and enjoy playing sport with ‘old’ friends. Unfortunately during this pandemic, sports have been cancelled so I’ve been spending time either at work or at home, like everyone else, during the week. On weekends I do go home to work on the farm. Presently, I help feed sheep and I’m helping with shearing shed renovations. I am looking forward to Covid-19 social distancing restrictions lifting as I do miss camaraderie with my friends and wider family, especially my little nephew.

Kitty’s Fun Fact:

Did you know the Cockatoos are a family of over 21 different parrots? Not just the iconic sulphur-crested cockatoo! One of the most beautiful and most underrepresented Cockatoos is the Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo. They are very powerful symbols in the Australian Indigenous Dreaming stories.

Before I go on, I’d like to preface by saying that I am not an Indigenous Australian and I’ve learned about this from research and stories. If anyone reading this knows any further information, or wants to correct anything I’ve mentioned, please do comment.

The Black Cockatoo is a highly spiritual symbol. The appearance of Black Cockatoos is said to be a sign of new beginnings – changes in your life or the environment around you.

When I was camping in East Gippsland in December, we were sitting in the beautiful Croajingalong National Park when a big family of Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos appeared overhead. Within a few hours, we were evacuating back to Melbourne due to the Bushfires, which burned through that very spot within 5-6 hours. Definitely a significant change for both me, my family and the environment!

This being said, these cockatoos represent spirit – whether that’s a strengthening of your own spirit and soul or a celebration of the spirits or gods you may believe in. Though things may change, these birds are a reminder of our strength and ability to endure change and thrive. I think this is fitting for our current isolation situation.

It’s said that when Black Cockatoos are being noisy, they are announcing the rising of a passed spirit into to heaven (see the Dreaming story The Mopaditis and the Black Cockatoos). They’re very powerful symbols in Indigenous culture, and if you see one you can be assured that their energy is strengthening and empowering as you address new challenges or enter new chapters within your life.

I’m Kitty and I’m a singer/songwriter originally from Bacchus Marsh. I love music and how we can connect with others and our inner selves through song. I’m currently studying a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Music at Monash University to explore this connection further! In isolation, I’ve been focusing on my studies (and submitting assessments EARLY?! Who knew that was possible?) and making a lot of new music, which I’m loving!