MEDIA RELEASE
28 NOVEMBER 2006
ACT AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED
CANBERRA : A speed skiing champion, an indigenous education advocate, a youth leader who turned his own life around and foster carer were today announced as the ACT recipients in the 2007 Australian of the Year Awards.
ACT Chief Minister, The Honourable Jon Stanhope MLA, announced the award recipients at a special event at the National Gallery of Australia this evening, congratulating all finalists for their inspiring achievements.
- Michael Milton is known to most Australians as the fastest man on one ski, but this year he achieved his dream to simply be the fastest Australia skier in the world. Michael set a new open Australian speed skiing record, clocking an amazing 213.65km/hr. He is now the fastest Australian skier ever and first person ever with a disability to ski over 200km/hr. He is a twelve times gold medallist in six Paralympics and six World Championships, a champion for children's charities and an example of what anyone can achieve if the pursue their goals.
- ACT's Senior Australian of the Year, Dr Kaye Price from Gordon, has worked tirelessly on improving the educational experience for Indigenous school students through her investigations of pragmatic learning environment programs and her examination of the relationships between school outcomes and Indigenous students' positive self identity. Dr Price's commitment to education can be seen in her career as a primary school teacher, principal, university lecturer, Indigenous education consultant, curriculum writer and as an ongoing student herself.
- ACT's Young Australian of the Year is 25 year old John Van den Dungen from Civic. At 18, John was on remand, spending a month in Goulburn prison, which he describes as the "gates to hell." John's decision never to go back there turned his life around. Now he helps other young people facing troubles like those he faced with sheer determination. He became the coordinator of The Connections, a community-run organisation providing peer support to people trapped in a cycle of drugs by offering them a new path, one that John is following also.
- The ACT Local Hero was announced as Giralang's Beverley Orr who has dedicated her life to caring for foster children. In addition to caring for children in her own home for almost 30 years, Beverley was a co-founders of the ACT Foster Carers' Association and still holds the office of vice-president. She has taken her work to the national level through her presidency of the Australian Foster Carers' Association and is currently on the ACT Children's Services Council and is Deputy Chair of Families Australia.
The National Australia Day Council said the nominations received from the ACT for this year's awards covered a wide range of achievements and contributions.
"We were really pleased with the amount of nominations we received from the ACT for this year's awards and were also very impressed with the many 'quiet achievers' who were nominated for giving so much to others," said Tam Johnston, Australian of the Year Awards Manager for the National Australia Day Council.
"Whether its achievements on a grand, public scale, like Michael Milton, lifelong contributions like Beverley Orr and Dr Price or life-changing commitments like John Van den Dungen, we can all draw inspiration from these great Australians"
All ACT award recipients now become national finalists in the Australian of the Year Awards to be announced by the Prime Minister in Canberra on 25 January 2007 .
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Award recipient bios attached with this media release.
For further information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Nicole Browne at media op(p)s on 0414 673 762 or nicole@mediaopps.com.au
