Shanna Whan, founder of Sober in the Country, was named 2022 Australia’s Local Hero at a ceremony in Canberra.

After almost losing her own life to alcohol addiction, Shanna set out to change how people discuss and use alcohol in rural Australia.

She told Ben Fordham she hopes she made her community proud.

“My passion lies in the country … those are the people I advocate and fight for because no one else does.

“There’s a lot of services and support and funding in the city and larger regional areas, but there’s very little in rural and remote Australia.”

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Young Australian of the Year Dr Daniel Nour is being acknowledged for identifying a gap in the healthcare of vulnerable people in NSW through his mobile medical clinic Street Side Medics. 

He told Ben he hasn’t slept from excitement.

“I feel so proud, I feel so honoured, but I also feel the weight of the responsibility that I think I now have.”

Press PLAY below to hear the full interview