#275. THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF JOE WILLIAMS, FROM A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE TO THE 2019 AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARD WINNER.

<p style="font-weight:400;">JOE WILLIAMS</p> <p style="font-weight:400;">EX NRL PLAYER, EX WBF WORLD JNR WELTERWEIGHT & PROFESSOR AT THE SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND.</p> <p style="font-weight:400;"> </p> <p style="font-weight:400;">In today’s episode Joe Williams joins us. Joe is a Wiradjuri, 1st Nations Aboriginal man born in Cowra, raised in Wagga NSW having lived a 15 year span as a professional sports person. Joe played in the National Rugby League for South Sydney Rabbitohs, Penrith Panthers, and Canterbury Bulldogs before switching to professional Boxing in 2009. As a boxer Joe was a 2x WBF World Jnr Welterweight champion and won the WBC Asia Continental Title.</p> <p style="font-weight:400;"> </p> <p style="font-weight:400;">Although forging a successful professional sporting career, Joe battled the majority of his life with suicidal ideation and Bipolar Disorder. After a suicide attempt in 2012, Joe felt his purpose was to help people who struggle with mental health & wellbeing. </p> <p style="font-weight:400;"> </p> <p style="font-weight:400;">Joe is also an author having contributed to multiple books as well as his very own autobiography titled Defying The Enemy Within.</p> <p style="font-weight:400;"> </p> <p style="font-weight:400;">Joe was also named as finalist for the courage award in the 2017 National Indigenous Human Rights Awards & 2018 was awarded the Suicide Prevention Australia Life Award for his work in communities across the country.</p> <p style="font-weight:400;"> </p> <p style="font-weight:400;">In 2019 Joe was awarded Australia’s highest honour in the Mental Health field, announced as a co-winner of the National Mental Health Prize presented by the Australian Prime Minister.</p> <p style="font-weight:400;"> </p> <p style="font-weight:400;">Since founding the organisation, The Enemy Within in 2014, Joe has delivered wellbeing programs to over 200 communities across Australia, & multiple countries around the globe; which aims to alleviate the mental & traumatic di