WA Young Achiever Awards: Youth justice advocate Lucy Stronach named overall winner

On her seventh birthday, Lucy Stronach’s nanna wrote in her birthday card that she would be Prime Minister of Australia one day. Given the trajectory her life has taken since then, it’s a fair bet that prediction could one day come true. The social justice advocate was last night named overall winner of the prestigious 7NEWS WA Young Achiever of the Year award, selected from 10 categories. During more than a decade of volunteer service and leadership, the 28-year-old has directly impacted hundreds and indirectly helped thousands through her work in women’s rights, justice, community development and disability advocacy. Now working as a youth justice adviser for the Minderoo Foundation, she also won the Masonic Care/Freemasons WA Community Service and Volunteering Award. Ms Stronach said the drive to make the world a better place for life’s battlers had been instilled in her from a young age. Her sense of justice and community service was fostered by her school, Santa Maria College. That was honed during her teens and early 20s when she witnessed community disadvantage as she travelled and lived in places such as Sri Lanka, Vietnam, India and the US. “And being someone who came from quite a privileged background, I realised the massive disparity in my experience and that of other people around the world, and it felt like something that wasn’t OK, and wasn’t fair,” she said. “And I had the ability through that privilege to try and make a difference in whatever way I could.” Among the many roles Ms Stronach has held, one she is particularly proud of is her work as the Australian youth representative to the United Nations. “In that position, I was able to speak with thousands of young people across Australia,” she said. “And with those insights, translate that to MPs and policymakers, both domestically and internationally. “Being able to hold that space is such an honour, and to really elevate the experiences of young people who don’t often have the chance to be in decision-making rooms.” Another highlight has been volunteering for the Sir David Martin Foundation, which helps youth in crisis. As to what comes next, politics is still a possibility. “I always said as a kid that I wanted to be Prime Minister, but we’ll see,” she said. “I love the advocacy space, and then politics is always something I’ve been interested in, but it is obviously still quite a challenging arena for women and young people. “But I recognise that policymakers hold so much power when it comes to changing systems and realistically, system change is what’s needed so desperately in Australia.” Early experiences also played a big role in Tremane Baxter-Edwards’ decision to work to empower Aboriginal youth. He regularly speaks to school groups and others about what he witnessed growing up. “What I saw as a child, and what I don’t want today’s young people to witness ... family and domestic violence and drugs in the community and alcoholism and all those treacherous things,” he said. “When I was growing up, I said, ‘I swear on my life to do something about it, to make a generational change, and just to be a beacon of hope’.” Aged just 17 and still in high school, Tremane won the National Indigenous Times Community Leadership Award. The Aquinas College student is still juggling Year 12 studies with his work as an adviser to the Federal Government on education for First Nations youth. Tremane said he was “over the moon” to be able to show young people from his hometown of Wyndham in the Kimberley that anything is possible. “That’s what I aspire to do every day — to show young people that if you put your mind to something, you can reap the benefits,” he said. Physiotherapist and commercial pilot Kennedy Lay won the Awards Australia Career Achievement Award for his work offering vital health care to rural Australians. In 2021, he merged his expertise in flying and therapy to launch the Fly2Health Group to try and make a difference for people in the bush. Since then, he has expanded his service to 55 locations and partnered with more than 100 specialists, across physiotherapy, psychology, speech and occupational therapy. Other young achievers recognised last night include Pingelly’s Ellen Cook, who won the Spirit Super Connecting Communities Award; Katie Williams, an 11-year-old scout who picked up the Catholic Education WA Young Leadership Award; Ice-cream entrepreneur Maria Tong, who won the Riverbank Estate Restaurant Tourism and Hospitality Award; AFLWA player and mentor Emma O’Driscoll who was awarded the Surge Fitness Sports Award; Port Hedland teacher Rebecca Nelson who won the Department of Communities Regional and Rural Initiative Award; Gender equality campaigner Zahra Al Hilaly with the Department of Communities Young Women Leader Award and road injury prevention presenter Tayla Stone with the Insurance Commission of WA Road Safety Advocate Award.