Sophie Smith our NSW Local Hero
INSPIRATIONAL fundraiser Sophie Smith has been named the 2019 NSW Local Hero at the Australian of the Year Awards.
Southern Courier
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INSPIRATIONAL fundraiser Sophie Smith has been named the 2019 NSW Local Hero at the Australian of the Year Awards.The 48-year-old from Coogee will go up against the winners from the other states with the overall winner named on Australia Day.
Ms Smith lost her triplets after they were being born prematurely in 2006.
Along with her husband, Ash, she set up her Running for Premature Babies Foundation in their memory. Tragically a few years later she also lost her husband to brain cancer. Rather than taking a step back from her fundraising, she stepped it up and to date the foundation has raised $3 million.
She was named the winner of the NSW Local Hero category at Monday night’s state awards at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. The award is one of four that make up the annual Australian of the Year awards. The others are Young Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year and Australian of the Year.
Ms Smith also released memoir, Sophie’s Boys, earlier this year co-written with author Deborah Fitzgerald. It details Ms Smith’s experience of losing her triplets and her husband, with the themes of loss and grief.
IN OTHER NEWS
Social entrepreneur Jarrod Wheatley, 30, from Surry Hills, was named NSW Young Australian.
Richmond’s 91-year-old athlete Heather Lee, the holder of five world records, was named senior Australian. Kurt Fearnley, 37, from Newcastle, a multiple Paralympic medal winner and disability advocate is the state’s Australian of the Year candidate.
The winners will be announced in Canberra on Australia Day.
