FROM LONELY LAKESIDE WALKS TO 2,000 FRIENDS: MEET THE CANBERRA HEROES OF 2027
Four Canberra heroes have been honoured as the ACT's Australian of the Year Award recipients for 2027, and their stories are a beautiful reminder that small acts of kindness can grow into something enormous.
The winners were announced at a ceremony in Canberra on the evening of November 11.
They include a human rights advocate, a scientist fighting hunger, a young man who turned his own loneliness into a charity, and a mum who has helped more than 2,000 women find their village.
All four will now join recipients from every other state and territory at the national awards in Canberra on January 25, 2027.
The young Canberra heroes tackling loneliness
If you have ever felt lonely, the story of Zakary Pino will strike a chord.
In 2021, while struggling with anxiety and loneliness, the Dickson local began taking Sunday morning walks around Lake Burley Griffin.
Slowly, other people started joining him.
Those gentle strolls grew into WITH-ME, a charity that now connects more than 2,000 people through walking, running, yoga and cooking sessions.
His work was cited in a submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly's inquiry into loneliness and social isolation.
He has also contributed to research on adolescent loneliness and speaks to school students about anxiety and mental health.
In a lovely twist, he was named Young Australian of the Year for the ACT on November 11, the very day he turned 30, according to The Canberra Times.
A Local Hero building a village for mums
Micaela Centenera, 42, from Pearce, was named the ACT's Local Hero, and her story will resonate with any mum who has felt isolated in those early months.
She co-founded The Little Capsule Co., a store selling new and pre-loved children's clothing that extends the life of garments and raises money for maternal health research.
Sales help fund Mumma Mingle, a free community group she created, which brought together 2,100 mums and mums-to-be in a single year.
She is also deputy chair of the Canberra Circle of Women, which sends around 20 large boxes of medical supplies, clothing, bedding and toiletries to families living in extreme poverty in the Philippines every month.
Canberra heroes making a difference around the world
The ACT Australian of the Year is Martin Hodgson, 46, from Monash.
For more than 20 years he has advocated for human rights, representing more than 500 clients free of charge in over 30 countries through The Disappeared Project and the Foreign Prisoner Support Service.
He helped secure the release of Kevin Henry, a First Nations man wrongfully imprisoned in Queensland for more than 25 years.
He also raises awareness of injustice through his podcast, Curtain.
The ACT Senior Australian of the Year is Dr Andrzej Kilian, 68, from Kaleen.
In 2001 the scientist founded Diversity Arrays Technology, a Canberra social enterprise built around his low-cost method for analysing the DNA of almost any organism.
His technology helps farmers grow crops suited to their conditions and use fewer chemicals, all in the name of better global food security.
He started with just two people and now operates internationally.
He told Canberra Daily that he had been deeply affected by "the injustice of children dying from hunger."
What we can all learn from them
National Australia Day Council chief executive Carrie Leeson told The Canberra Times the four recipients are "truly making a difference."
What stands out is how many of these stories began with one person noticing a need and simply doing something about it.
A walk around a lake.
A children's clothing store that funds a free group for new mums.
A determined voice for people locked up far from home.
If you are feeling inspired, there are easy ways to start.
Invite a neighbour for a regular walk, check in on a new mum you know, or look up local volunteer groups that need a helping hand.
You can also read about this year's recipients from around the country, and nominate someone special in future years, on the Australian of the Year Awards website.
Who knows, the next set of Canberra heroes might be someone on your street.
