Heroes of all ages nominated for Pride of Australia awards

MICHAELA Walker feels driven to help brighten the lives of others. But she is being frustrated by bureaucracy.

Chris Latimer

MICHAELA Walker feels driven to help brighten the lives of others.

The Langwarrin 15-year-old's record of volunteering over the past two years takes in the Red Shield Appeal, aged care homes, the school canteen and her local church Sunday school.

But she is being frustrated by bureaucracy.

Non-profit organisations often cite insurance concerns as a reason for rejecting children's help as volunteers.

So Michaela took her campaign to remove the age restrictions to the federal member for Dunkley, Bruce Billson.

She sent him a passionate three-page letter, outlining her belief that parents should be able to take responsibility for children who wished to volunteer.

She followed that up by meeting him in October.

"Unless I do something about it, all kids in future will have to wait to start volunteering," Michaela said.

"The younger you can start, the more the passion will stick with you for life.

"I'm not going to give up."

Chris Latimer, 55, is another who never gives up.

She holds her head high despite suffering unfathomable trauma as a result of the carnage on our roads.

On New Year's Day 1997, she lost her two eldest teenage daughters, Wendy and Melissa, in a car crash.

Ten years later her son, Grant, was physically and psychologically scarred by a fatal crash.

And just over three years ago, a third accident left her youngest daughter, Nicky, 25, unable to walk or talk, and so unable to care for her own son, Blake, 5.

So Ms Latimer, with partner David McOrist, has become a "parent" to Blake, who has autism.

She also puts her own pain aside to volunteer with Road Trauma Support Services, to share her story with first-time dangerous driving offenders.

"It gives me purpose," Ms Latimer said.

"You've just got to keep working towards what you want it to be."

And she has another fight on her hands.

She is appealing for the Transport Accident Commission to pay for modifications to the family's new Mill Park house, so she can finally bring Nicky home. But she has faith that she will triumph.

Christopher Trapani is triumphing over Tourette's syndrome, a hereditary disorder that since childhood has afflicted him with physical tics, problems with his balance and anxiety.

But the 30-year old Watsonia man refuses to treat his condition as a disability.

"It's about being practical in your life achievements," he said.

"Don't climb Mt Everest, but aim as high as you can."

Mr Trapani has had to overcome many hurdles.

But last year he secured a volunteer position as a teacher's aide at a local primary school.

Like Michaela, the go-getter began volunteer work at a young age, 15. For many years he donated his time to help out in aged care homes and soup kitchens.

His 20s were his toughest years. Mr Trapani's tics worsened and he suffered from major depression.

He said he was barely able to hold a glass of water, let alone carry a bag of groceries.

"I felt very lost, but I chose to fight for health, and progress," he said.

He joined a gym and turned his life around.

Mr Trapani described feeling "unbelievable happiness" when, after coping with about 35 rejections, he was finally invited to volunteer at Greensborough Primary School.

There, he can draw on his own experiences to relate to struggling students.

"It was amazing.

"It was like winning another piece of a jigsaw puzzle I'd battled for," he said.

The courage and leadership of Mr Trapani, Ms Latimer and Michaela Walker have inspired their communities to nominate them all for Pride of Australia awards.