South Australia’s Lachlan Gray is a finalist for the Pride of Australia Medal announced today in Syndey

FOUR-year-old Lachlan Gray will represent South Australia as the youngest finalist in the 10th annual Pride of Australia Medal.

NOT many four-year-olds can add local hero to their short resume.

Then again, humble hero Lachlan Gray is unlike most kids his age.

Earlier this year, Lachlan rescued his brother Mitchell from drowning in a garden pond at the family’s Belair house.

It’s a day his mother, Catherine Gray, will never forget.

“It was amazing that he was able to react the way he did, the circumstances would have been absolutely devastating if he hadn’t,” she said.

When 18-month-old Mitchell fell head-first into the pond, Lachlan acted quickly to pull his head from the water before Mrs Gray was able to lift him out.

Lachlan’s heroic actions earned him South Australia’s Child of Courage medal in the News Corp Pride of Australia awards in October.

“He’s a very modest boy, I think he appreciates what he did was a good thing but in his four-year-old mind it was just what he had to do at the time,” Mrs Gray said.

Today, Lachlan will be the youngest of 30 finalists vying for national honours in the Pride of Australia Awards national ceremony held in Sydney and broadcast nationally by Network Ten.

The event will be hosted by Channel 10 journalist and news presenter Sandra Sully and X Factor winner Dami Im and Kate Ceberano will perform on the night.

“He was so excited when he first got the letter inviting him to Sydney,” Mrs Gray said. “It’s a huge honour for him to be recognised.”

Lachlan will join other SA nominees including James Harrington, 21, who walked 18,000km around Australia to raise money for the Brainchild Foundation, Aidan Barry, 17, recognised for his work assisting young people living with a disability, Fiora Christou, 42, for opening SA’s first school for children with autism, koala-rescuer Rae Campbell, 70, firefighter and farmer Trevor Stevens, 57, and SA carers advocate Terry Smith, 75.

Mr Harrington is also a finalist in the People’s Choice Award, which carries a $20,000 prize.

Each finalist will be be competing in 10 categories of Outstanding Bravery, Care & Compassion, Courage, Community Spirit, Environment, Heroism, Fair Go, Inspiration, Young Leader and Child of Courage.

The Pride of Australia National Ceremony will be broadcast by Network Ten on ONE, Saturday December 13 at 9.30pm.