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Young achievers win awards over efforts in community

TEENAGER Ahmad El Haj Youssef is a local hero.

Just a year ago, the 16-year-old from Greenacre had a heart transplant after a sudden cardiac arrest, and also had his right leg amputated.
But, being a true fighter, he learned how to walk again, and then, following five months in hospital, he walked in a charity event.
Ahmad’s incredible achievements have been recognised with the ‘Inspiration’ award in the Canterbury Bankstown 2022 Children and Youth Awards, which honours young people who are making a difference in so many ways, such as working against injustice, supporting the environment and helping their classmates get healthier.
The ceremony celebrated the achievements of 46 young people including Ahmad who won the ‘Inspiration’ award.
Mayor Khal Asfour said he’s proud of the amazing achievements of the City’s youth.
“What an incredible group of young people – no doubt they are putting many of us adults to shame,” he said.
“The future of our City is incredibly bright having these kids who are already driven, motivated and achieving so much.”
Other category winners included:
Leadership – Anhaar Kareem. The 15-year-old Al Noori Muslim School student recently founded the Islamic Women’s Welfare Association Youth Subcommittee and has been a strong youth advocate and featured on podcasts and the ABC’s show, Q&A. She uses her spare time to run free public speaking and creative writing workshops for children in her community to empower them to speak out on issues that matter to them.
Creative and Performing Arts – Gabrielle Daggar. A student at Beverly Hills Girls High School and member of the council’s Talent Advancement Program, the 13-year-old has been in several musicals including Billy Elliot and performed as a solo vocalist at several events and also filmed a TV pilot.
Academic Achievement – Fatma Hussein. Having excelled in maths, English, music and technology at Wiley Park Girls’ High and Beverley Hills Intensive English Centre, Fatma, 14, can speak five languages and is now an Arabic translator for the English centre.
Community Involvement – Salma Kareem. A volunteer at the Islamic Women’s Welfare Association in Lakemba for the last five years, 13-year-old Salma volunteers her time to cook for and feed people who are homeless and also collects and wraps presents for Eid every year. She has also raised money for a number of charities and local youth programs.
Sporting Achievement – Luke Tiberti. The Picnic Point High School student has achieved success in his sports, as a player and leader. Luke, 15, has excelled in touch football and rugby, and captained many teams, as well as being selected in several representative teams and development squads for both sports.