From reassuring advice for pregnant and breastfeeding women to messages of resilience and kindness, the 2020 Australian of the Year Award recipients are sharing their tips on staying happy, healthy and positive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
National Australia Day Council CEO Karlie Brand said the videos, filmed by the recipients themselves or by family members they are isolating with, were being featured on the @AustralianoftheYear Facebook page so people could benefit from and enjoy the experience and insightful thoughts of awards alumni.
“Our award recipients have been keen to help at this time and their video messages are a great way to connect with the community,” said Ms Brand.
“There are so many amazing people in our awards alumni network and they offer a wide range of backgrounds, expertise and life experience to share with us all or give us reason to smile.”2020 Australian of the Year, blindness prevention pioneer Dr James Muecke AM, talks about how to handle anxiety and why it’s important to avoid a sugar hit in favour of a walk, listening to your favourite music, watching a comedy for a good laugh or doing a good deed.
2020 Senior Australian of the Year, obstetrics specialist Professor John Newnham AM, has reassuring advice for pregnant and breastfeeding women. In his role as Chair of the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance, Prof. Newnham is well-versed in the current understanding of coronavirus for pregnancy. He regularly records new videos, which are published on the @AustralianoftheYear Facebook page, to keep women up-to-date with the changing situation.
2020 Australia’s Local Hero Bernie Shakeshaft, founder of the BackTrack Youth Works program, speaks from his country NSW property. Bernie’s message of resilience and kindness is particularly relevant for rural communities across Australia who have faced drought, bushfire, floods and now a pandemic in just a few months.
2020 NSW Senior Australian of the Year Sue Lennox shares how her OzGREEN organisation has moved online at this time with the Pulse of the Pandemic group to inspire people to innovate.
2020 QLD Senior Australian of the Year Professor Peter Dornan AM, a sports physician and men’s health specialist, shares practical advice on the importance of keeping active.
