About us
OVAIT provides a range of services aimed at preventing violence. This includes Women's Self Defence and Situational Awareness training and Occupational Violence and Aggression Training.
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The services we provide aim to empower participants to not only prevent violence but also to decrease fear and anxiety and increase confidence, self-efficacy, and self-esteem.
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OVAIT utilises a trauma-informed approach to all its training delivery. We provide group training, and individual sessions or can present at large events and conferences.
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We can also develop training on other related topics such as Risk Assessment Training, Self Care and Wellbeing, and a range of other topics to suit your organisational needs.
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With a highly experienced female and male facilitators OVAIT has a program to suit your needs.
About Tracey
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Tracey graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work and Bachelor of Behavioural Science in 2003 and is a member with the Australian Association of Social Workers. She has spent over 20 years employed in various roles in the welfare sector, including in juvenile justice, family violence, child protection, financial counselling and therapeutic counselling.
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Tracey is a proud Gulidjan women from Colac, Victoria but currently resides in Bendigo, Victoria.
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For over a decade she was employed as a Senior Manager and then Business Development Manager with a large community services based organisation where she managed a range of programs including victims assistance, family violence, men’s behavioural change, family services, disability, mental health, financial counselling and gambler’s help.
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Tracey now also supports new entrants into the community services sector with a First Nations Registered Training Organisation and holds qualifications in Training and Assessment.
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She also has a passion for martial arts and has been studying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for the last 9 years. She teaches a kids bjj class at her local gym and enjoys working with children and young people with challenging behaviours.
She has seen in herself the benefits any kind of self-defence and situational awareness training can have and now wants to share this with others.
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She's also a mother and wife, and both her husband and daughter co-facilitate training with Tracey.
About Adam
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Adam is a passionate martial artist and has been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) for the last 11 years; the first one in the family to start training and the influencer for Tracey and Zoe to give it a go. He was awarded his black belt in BJJ in Ocotober 2024. He has competed in a variety of bjj tournaments from white to brown belt, up to pan pacific level.
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Adam has spent the last 20 years being a listening ear for Tracey venting about the failures of the system for victims. Adam is an advocate for women and learning self defence. He is Tracey's number one support and loves teaching and sharing his bjj knowledge.
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If you can't find him on the mats, he'll be playing basketball, snowboarding, mount bike riding, or some other high energy level activity. Lucky he has a desk job in IT!
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He is (obviously) also a father and husband to Tracey and Zoe.