A Mildura domestic abuse survivor, whose story has sparked a national campaign to ban perpetrators from playing community sport, has been nominated for the 2022 Australian of the Year award.
Kim O'Reilly started her campaign last year after her abuser and partner at the time was allowed to play for a local football club while on bail in 2019.
Since sharing her story publicly last year, Ms O'Reilly has spent most of her time meeting with sporting officials and politicians and campaigning for sporting clubs to ban players who are facing charges or are on bail for violent crimes.
"[The nomination is] a little bit surreal, I'm in disbelief at the moment," Ms O'Reilly said.
The other three Victorian nominees are: paralympian tennis player Dylan Alcott; CSIRO chief scientist Professor Bronwyn Fox; and human rights and refugee advocate Nador Neon.
"I still can't believe it, I keep looking at it thinking, 'Oh my God, I can't believe my name is deserving to be in there'," Ms O'Reilly said.
Bill in progress
Ms O'Reilly knew something had to change after she was assaulted. She wanted that change in the form of legislation.
Starting from a grassroots level, Ms O'Reilly met with several Sunraysia sporting clubs, who committed to adopt a no-violence tolerance policy that would ban players who were charged or serving bail for violent crimes.
And soon, her policy will head to the next stage in Canberra.
"We will hopefully get [the policy] passed as a bill across Australia by the end of next year," Ms O'Reilly said.
If passed, Ms O'Reilly's bill would legislate that anyone who has been sentenced with assault will be de-registered from professional and community sporting clubs across the country.
"The biggest thing is that we need to have an even playing field for our consequences."
Life forever changed
Time has allowed Ms O'Reilly to heal physically but she said her life would always be filled with ups and downs due to the assault.
"I think I've come to the understanding that it's always going to be up and down," Ms O'Reilly said.
"This depends on what the day is and how I feel about life.
"I'm not going to give up for anyone.
"So we'll keep going, forward and upwards."
