Each year a number of annual National NAIDOC Awards are presented to Indigenous Australians that have made outstanding contributions to improve the lives of Indigenous people in their communities and beyond, to promote Indigenous issues in the wider community, or to celebrate the excellence they’ve shown in their chosen field. In 2017, podiatrist Dr James Charles was named the NAIDOC Scholar of the Year for his attempts to shine a light on the state of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander foot health and the need for culturally appropriate services. We spoke to Dr James Charles to find out what the 2017 NAIDOC Scholar of the Year has been up to since winning the auspicious award.