Fiona Shepherd as Australian of the year
...nt that left her paralysed and confined to a wheelchair, this determined and courageous young woman refused to let her disability change her life in any way. Since that time Fiona's commitment to raising awareness about spinal cord injuries and the necessity for funding for future treatment has been exceptional. “There’s no excuse for a person like myself, at 25 years of age, to be imprisoned into a wheelchair. My life is a prison, and I refuse to accept that we cannot continue medical research…” Within five months Fiona was working as a volunteer with the Australasian Spinal Research Trust, organising support meetings for families and coordinating fundraising and community events to promote awareness and raise funds for research into the treatment of spinal cord injuries. Fiona's work involves her dealing with various people including community members, scientists, politicians, businessmen, people with spinal injuries and staff from disability agencies. Fiona is dedicated to providing better treatment and an improved lifestyle for the disabled community. She is a brave and inspirational role model for all young Australians. Fiona sees her spinal cord injury as a challenge as she continues to live her busy life with the same enthusiasm, commitment and courage she always has. She returned to Intework, is studying for her Masters Degree, which she plans to complete in June 2004 followed by a PhD in the field of disability, and still gives her heart and soul to her voluntary work. She played a significant role in obtaining a $500,000 grant for the Neurotrauma Research Program at UWA, bravely participating in an ABC TV debate on the correlation between road crashes and head and spinal injuries, and taking part in a discussion on the same topic in ABC Radio. An articulate speaker, she regularly addres...