Piper Stewart

The National NAIDOC Committee are pleased to announce Piper Stewart as one of the finalists in the Youth Person award. 

At 12, Piper Stewart, a proud Gulidjan girl, founded Bambigi to provide swimming lessons for Aboriginal children in Griffith, addressing the high drowning rates among Indigenous people. She fundraised through various events and has since funded over 300 children for six months of lessons, providing necessary equipment. 

Piper's efforts earned her multiple awards and recognition, including a Community Recognition Statement read in Parliament. She was also selected by Swimming NSW for a leadership program, organizing NAIDOC week events that have grown annually. Piper's work has been featured in media outlets, and she was showcased by the NSW Department of Education in 2021. 

She has won the DET Nanga Mai Award and was a keynote speaker at water safety summits. Piper's success continued in 2023, receiving the 'Youth Innovator of the Year' award and being selected for the 'Olympic Change Maker' summit, where she presented recommendations for making the Olympics inclusive to rural communities. A dedicated student and lifeguard, Piper is studying paramedics at university, embodying positivity and leadership.