A passionate advocate for victims of domestic violence has been named the overall winner of the 2025 Tasmanian Young Achiever Awards.
Romany Wake, who also took home the St Luke’s Healthier Communities Award, was recognised for her tireless advocacy work following personal tragedy.
“I spent most of last night in awe of the incredible young people around me, as they all have the most inspiring stories and are making great change,” she said.
“Thank you for believing in me, and supporting me, and helping me make change.”
“This award is for my mum, my brother, and any and all victims of domestic and family violence.”
Wake’s advocacy journey began after the murder of her mother Rachel, a midwife and mother of two.
She subsequently founded Rachel’s Voice, a social media platform supporting others impacted by domestic abuse.
Her work extends beyond awareness-raising to include collaboration with government agencies, police, courts and frontline services to improve legislation, including contributions to the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children.
She also helped establish the Rachel Wake Midwifery Scholarship in 2023 and was a nominee for the 2025 Tasmania Young Australian of the Year award.
“I’m still going to push for change, and I am very excited for the next project I’m working on,” Wake said.
The awards ceremony celebrated outstanding young Tasmanians across multiple categories, with winners including Sahar Naqshband for the Connecting Communities Award, Brittney Wilson for Service to the Disability Sector, and Tristan Styles for the Sports Award.
Emma Skalicky received the Mental Health and Wellbeing Award, while Jye Tyrrell’s GROW Disability Support won the Small Business Achiever category.
Other recipients included Sofia Tsamassiros (Tourism and Hospitality), Kamal Bhandari (Sports in the Community), Laura Johnson (Excellence in Leadership), Caitlin Hill (Courage to Grow), and Dillon Monks (Community Service & Volunteering).
The People’s Choice Award went to Chet Narayan Sapkota, a registered nurse dedicated to mental health and dementia care.
