Borobi was the official mascot of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, and the commemorative day was established to raise awareness of Indigenous languages in Australia.

Borobi means Koala in Yugambeh, one of the First Nations languages of the Gold Coast, Queensland and his popularity continues since his adoption as the official mascot of the Australian Commonwealth Games Team.

As we celebrate Borobi Day, we reflect on the diversity and inclusion of cultures across our Commonwealth.

At Commonwealth Sport, Athletes are at the centre of everything we do – and that means giving them a voice and platform at Games-time to represent their communities, nations and culture, thereby inspiring and empowering future generations of competitors.

In 2024, we launched the Commonwealth Sport Declaration on Reconciliation and Partnership with Indigenous Peoples, which formalised our mission to help smooth the path for Indigenous People to compete in elite level sport. While we hope the declaration will encourage and support many more indigenous athletes into the elite sport pathway, their presence at Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games won’t be a new phenomenon.

Over the years, many athletes from Indigenous communities have competed at the Games, showcasing their culture to the world and shining a light on the issues encountered everyday. Many have represented Australia, a country where there are as many as 250 Indigenous nations.

Arguably, the most famous is Catherine Freeman.

At just 16 years old, Catherine etched her name into history during the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, where she became the first female Aboriginal athlete to clinch a Commonwealth Games gold medal in the 4x100 metre relay.

Freeman's unwavering commitment to recognising her Aboriginal ancestry came to the forefront at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in British Columbia, Canada.

With a determination to carry her people and culture with her through every triumph, she unfurled the Aboriginal flag following her victory in the 400m sprint.

She later recalled that the moment wasn’t just an act of defiance, but also a celebration of the mindset that pushed her over the finishing line: "My ancestors were the first people to walk on

this land,” she said upon returning home to a storm of controversy. "It's a really powerful force and those girls were always going to come up against my ancestors."

After being reprimanded by the Australian Chef de Mission for carrying a flag that wasn’t officially recognised, Catherine returned a few days later for the 200m and carried both the Australian and Aboriginal flags, a statement that ignited discussions at home about the challenges faced by her people.

"I wanted to shout, 'Look at me. Look at my skin. I'm black, and I'm the best.' There was no more shame,'” she later wrote in her autobiography.

Her actions inspired a generation of athletes, including Australian cricketer, Ashleigh Gardner: "She was an absolute superstar in her field, and you just have to look up to those types of people and know that things are achievable. Wearing that flag was something that was pretty incredible, and something that she should be really proud of. Knowing the backlash that she copped, and still sticking to her guns, was a really significant thing.”

Ashleigh’s performance at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games helped her team to a gold medal, but representing her community has created a legacy as powerful as any medal.

"I'm a proud Marwari woman," she said. "I love being able to represent not only myself, but my culture and my people as well."

Fellow Australian and Wonnarua athlete, Brandon Wakeling made his second Commonwealth Games appearance at Birmingham 2022, having previously competed on the Gold Coast four years earlier. Proud Wulli Wulli and Goreng Goreng athlete, Taliqua Clancey is a double silver medal-winning beach volleyball star, picking up medals at both the 2018 and 2022 Games, while Noongar netballer Donnell Wallam made her Commonwealth Games debut in 2022, helping her team win gold.

Elsewhere, Ruby Storm (S14 Swimming); Ally Wilson (3x3 Basketball); Maurice Longbottom (Rugby Sevens); Mariah Williams (Hockey); Callum Peters (Boxing); and Indi Cooper (T38 800m sprint) complete a strong lineup of Australian athletes from First Nations communities.

Also competing at Birmingham 2022 was Jillian Weir, a hammer thrower representing Canada and the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation. Just like Cathy Freeman, she talked of finding strength from the stories and people of her community.

“There’s a fighter spirit in me from my ancestors,” she said. “I feel like that instilled some strength in me and some resilience, so I’m definitely proud to represent the Mohawk nation and it’s a privilege to be able to compete, and have some representation for our Tribe on the world stage.”

For Jillian, the opportunity to use the stage provided by the Commonwealth Games was too good to pass up.

"To have an Indigenous background and to be here, to medal at the Commonwealth Games, it means the world,” she said. "I'm just trying to represent the best that I can and if I can bring attention to some of the wrongdoings of Indigenous people, that's what I want to do. To highlight Indigenous backgrounds and Indigenous stories."

When the lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) Paddle was handed over to Commonwealth Sport in February, it marked an official call on sports organisations, institutions, governments, Commonwealth Games organisers, and Indigenous peoples to work together to support and implement the spirit and actions of the Commonwealth Sport Declaration on Reconciliation and Partnership with Indigenous Peoples.

The paddle was designed by Indigenous artist Darlene Gait from the Esquimalt nation and carved by Carey Newman of the Pacific Northwest Kwakwak’awakw peoples and serves as a reminder to us all that we must do more to help Indigenous People find their way into sport.

And with Glasgow 2026 now firmly on the horizon, we look forward to welcoming more Indigenous Athletes into the Commonwealth fold – following in the footsteps of Cathy, Ashleigh, Jillian and many others before them.