Stand Tall Sydney 2021: ICC Sydney

Michelle Payne OAM is a National Icon whose remarkable story has lifted Australia’s spirits. The first ever female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, Michelle made ‘the race that stops a nation’ a race that inspired one. Her graciousness in the face of untold triumph and tragedy is now a beacon for many people. Her story has inspired the motion picture Ride Like a Girl, released across in Australia in September 2019.

Among many other awards, on Australia Day in 2021, Michelle Payne was awarded the Order of Australia Medal!

Find out more about Michelle here.

Michael Crossland is back for 2021! He has the ability to mesmerise and inspire teens with his story. Michael is an extraordinary young man who has defied the odds of a life threatening cancer to build a life of exceptional achievements. An accomplished businessman and an elite sportsman, his life is a remarkable success.

As a teenager in Freetown Sierra Leone, Aminata Conteh-Biger was abducted by rebels during the civil war. She was brutally treated by her captors for a number of months until she was finally freed as part of a negotiated prisoner exchange where rebel-held child prisoners were released in return for food and medicine. she became the first Sierra Leonean refugee woman in Australia.

In 2014, two young men from Queensland, Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, did something truly inspirational that would dramatically improve the lives of tens of thousands of people around Australia. They started providing free laundry services to people experiencing homelessness. Orange Sky is now a nationwide operation and these two men have an inspiring story to tell about making a contribution to society.

Jonny Shannon is Australia's Motivational Speaker of the Year for 2020, discussing bullying, cyber safety and mental health. He’s also an International Tech entrepreneur who found school extremely difficult, having undiagnosed dyslexia and other disabilities. His desire is to help young people make educated decisions based on what they want for their future & to seek help whenever they need it.

In 2018, 16 year old Alex Noble was doing what he loved best – playing rugby. Tragically he was badly injured on the field, breaking his neck and severely damaging his spinal cord. Since then Alex has hit major physical and mental milestones returning to school to complete his HSC, attending music festivals, building strength and control of his limbs. His story is remarkable.