Just keep going.
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That's the message Dubbo's Janaya Rose is hoping to get out there after being selected as one of the winners in the ABC's Heywire program.
Heywire is a regional storytelling competition. It encourages young people between 16 to 22-years-old to share their experiences, which are then featured across ABC's platforms.
Ms Rose spoke about being one of the Dubbo College Senior Campus' first cultural captains.
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In her submission, she wrote about taking part in the Indigenous Marathon Program and how after it was done she felt lost.
"When I got back, I started to feel like there was nothing to work towards. There wasn't anything to train for," Ms Rose wrote.
"I fell behind in school. I wagged. I didn't pay attention in class.
"I started having anxiety attacks and depressive episodes."
Thank to mentors at the Girls Academy, an Elsa Dixon Aboriginal Traineeship and becoming the school's first cultural captain, Ms Rose said she got back on track.
"I'm excited to get my experience out there and to let others know if they're going through something see if you can get some help if you can. It's okay to reach out. And just keep going," Ms Rose told the Daily Liberal.
It was one of those mentors, Tracey Piggott, who was the first person Ms Rose told she had been chosen as one of the winners. She was so happy, she cried.
In addition to sharing their stories, Heywire winners usually join up for a trip to Canberra where they meet each other and develop ideas to tackle common issues faced by youths.
However, Ms Rose won't be able to attend.
She'll be part way through an Indigenous gap year with the navy. After a year of getting to try a range of potential careers, she'll decide if it's something she wants to stick with.
When the Heywire applications come around again, Ms Rose encourages anyone who fits the criteria to apply.
"People should apply for it and just have a shot at it. Whether you win or not you're getting your voice out there and you're getting people to hear your story. Even if it's not going out to all of Australia, you're still getting the recognition and the markers to read it, so they get a feeling of what you're going through," she said.
There were 38 people chosen as winners of this year's Heywire competition.
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