What Australian of the Year Grace Tame is Watching Right Now

The 2021 Australian of the Year and advocate for sexual assault survivors has just launched The Grace Tame Foundation. Here, she shares what helps clear her head.

The last book I read

Lost Connections by Johann Hari had a profound impact on me. The main crux of it is that we’ve become divorced from meaningful values, especially in the West. Hari [a British-Swiss writer and journalist] offers new ways to get back to those values. I also really enjoyed Phosphorescence by Julia Baird. It has similar sorts of themes and talks about the importance of connecting with nature to stay grounded and present. That’s something that resonates with me as a runner. My mental health benefits from being outdoors. Here in Tasmania, I can go onto a beautiful trail or the beach and it’s almost transcendental. It’s meditative.

My favourite podcast

The Betoota Advocate. Just the balance of humour and sharp intellect – and the political and social commentary. Child sexual assault should never be politicised but unfortunately, the current leadership’s handling of these complaints has meant it has to be talked about. The Betoota Advocate has highlighted that in such a sharp way. I get a lot of joy, inspiration and comfort from those guys. I did their podcast earlier this year and I really enjoyed it.

The app I use the most

Would be Strava. It’s a social media platform for exercise. It’s actually where I met my fiancé, Max – we crossed paths on Strava. I use it to track my running. I’m a chronic overthinker with an overactive mind and, ironically, I feel most still in my mind and my body when I’m running. I don’t listen to anything while I run. I just love the silence.

My favourite movie

In Bruges. I love Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell. Colin sat next to me in a yoga class once, back when I was living in Los Angeles. I left him alone. He was actually quite shy.

The music I love

Classic English rock from the 1960s and ’70s, like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Aside from comedy, the strongest connection that my dad [former Tasmanian cricketer Michael Tame] and I have is through rock and roll music, including Jimmy Barnes and Paul Kelly.