From the outback to Spain: Joshua Toole's journey of self-discovery

At age 34, it has been two decades since he left his hometown of Bourke to attend the venerable St Jospeh's College, Hunters Hill.

Like countless country kids before him, Toole's time at the Sydney boarding school was transformative - introducing him to enriching relationships and experiences, among other positives.

"It was a culture shock," he said of his introduction to Joeys. "It was very different to a small town like Bourke. So it was nice to get down there and meet all the people and build some networks."

Attending St Joseph's from years 10 to 12 taught Toole about accountability. It also opened doors that otherwise would have been closed to him, he said, adding that he was encouraged to "go a bit further in life".

Given Toole's pronounced athleticism, many of the relationships and experiences he forged at school revolved around sport; his First XV exposure as an inside centre led to a first-grade rugby stint at the Western Harbour Pirates in Sydney and then under-20s action at the Canterbury Bulldogs.

He also trained with the Bulldogs' NSW Cup squad but didn't play a game, before logging first-grade rugby league minutes at the St Marys Saints in Western Sydney. In 2023, he was a Northern Hawk when the club was promoted to Newcastle's premier rugby league competition, the Denton Engineering Cup.

"I was travelling from Penrith out to Belmore [to train with Canterbury], which is a long way in the train and back," he told the Leader. "So I pulled the pin and just played out in the Penrith comp with St Marys."

While playing club rugby a decade ago in Plentzia, a picturesque resort town in northern Spain, the Yuwalaraay, Gomeroi and Wailwan man came up with a great idea that led to the creation of BlackFit Fitness in 2015.

The fitness and lifestyle brand aims "to foster social equality and cultural understanding by promoting the educational and wellness aspects of Aboriginal culture, physical health, and overall well-being", according to its website.

The company started as a Facebook page that was created by Toole and a friend while they were playing rugby in Spain. Toole has health science and secondary teaching (physical education) degrees from Western Sydney University.

"We were going to the gym all the time, and we had mob back home asking us to put up workouts, or things along the lines of that healthy lifestyle," he said in a 2020 interview with the National Indigenous Times, adding that there were no social media accounts focusing on the health and fitness of Indigenous Australians.

"We thought it would be cool for us to have a page for our mob that could appeal to them."

Living in Spain for just over a year was "crazy", said Toole, who teed up the stint through friends from Joeys.

"I'd love to go back ... I've got some unreal mates over in Spain through that footy connection."

In November 2024, Toole arrived in Armidale to head up the Newara Aboriginal Corporation. The non-profit Aboriginal community organisation said it was committed to the "reclamation and revival" of the Anaiwan people's language, culture, history and traditional practices through research and education.

Toole's move to Armidale has been Barbarians' gain, with the chief executive joining the rugby club for the current season. While earlier this month, he was New England's standoff when they lost to Central West in the Richardson Shield final at the NSW Country rugby championships.

It was there that the well-travelled footballer recalled those heady days in Spain, when he was "young and single", as he put it. Now, he has a partner and a daughter.

"I would've loved to have had kids at a young age, just to grow up with them, maybe play some sport with them," he said. "But, I think, having kids a little older has allowed me to mature for that role of a good parent."