Australian of the Year Taryn Brumfitt to headline 40 Under 40 Awards
Taryn Brumfitt turned a social media post on body image into a worldwide movement for change. The campaigner, director, best-selling writer and 2023 Australian of the Year has been announced as guest speaker at the 40 Under 40 Awards.
In 2013, Adelaide’s Taryn Brumfitt posted a ‘before and after’ image of herself that went viral. It led her to found the Body Image Movement and, soon after, release a documentary on women and negative body image.
A global sensation, the documentary Embrace has been viewed in 190 countries, while Brumfitt’s work in teaching others to love and appreciate their bodies has reached 200 million people.
Brumfitt has been announced as the guest speaker at the InDaily 40 Under 40 Awards, which celebrate the passion, vision and achievements of the state’s young leaders and entrepreneurs.
She will take part in a keynote Q&A session based on ‘Inspiring young leaders – growing a global brand from South Australia’.
In the lead up to the event on June 8, she said having built her own brand from Adelaide, the location was not a challenge it once may been.
“Things have changed a lot in 10 years. These days with remote working, it doesn’t really matter where we are, we can create impact from anywhere.,” Brumfitt said.
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Her particular focus on changing attitudes to body image has helped the company to avoid one of the pitfalls in aiming for growth.
“Staying true to our purpose while marketing our brand is easy, as it’s one and the same,” she said.
“The foundation of this global movement is to help people – every time we make a decision, whether it be about our brand or our direction, strategy and objectives, we are always thinking about how we will positively impact people lives first.
“We’re here to change the world, and we don’t take it lightly.”
The Body Image Movement has now turned its attention to combating body loathing in children and teens.
This year, she co-founded The Embrace Collective with Australian researcher and body image expert Dr Zali Yager.
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Brumfitt intends to leverage her position as Australian of the Year to “create meaningful change and positively impact the lives” of one million Australian school children.
“Australian of the Year opens more doors, and now our focus is to get the right people in the room to understand the power of what it means to embrace our bodies, and work with us to amplify the message,” she said.
“Educating and empowering the key influencers in environments where children live, learn and play is a crucial piece of the puzzle.”
The Embrace Kids Classroom program for students in years 5 to 8 is set to roll out with free curriculum-aligned resources.
“Changing policy and practice across multiple settings in order to reduce appearance pressure and shame will help to create a fundamental shift in how we talk about our bodies, appearance and health,” she said.
“We want young people to move and nourish their body, appreciate and enjoy their body and ultimately reach their full potential.”
Don’t miss your opportunity to hear from Australian of the Year Taryn Brumfitt at the InDaily 40 Under 40 Awards on June 8 at Adelaide Oval.
Tickets for the gala awards night are $191.90 for individuals and $1801.35 for tables of 10 (including booking fee) and include a three-course meal paired with premium South Australian wines.
