From helping to raise $1 million for Cystic Fibrosis ACT to bringing the benefit of lived experiences into schools, Heidi Prowse says her career has been dedicated to helping others.
Now, she has been recognised for that work.
Ms Prowse received the Medal of the Order of Australia in the King's Birthday Honours for her service to community health.
"When I found out I was filled with gratitude," she said.
"I have always considered the honour being awarded at the end of your career, but for me I feel like I'm only just getting started."
Ms Prowse has been a community leader for the past 15 years working with Camp Quality, Cystic Fibrosis ACT and MIEACT (Mental Illness Education ACT) focused on furthering each cause and reaching more people through their work.
"I have a personal mission to solve complex community issues and I'm willing to get in from the ground up to create change," she said.
"That was set into overdrive when I fell in love with my late husband who was living with cystic fibrosis.
"My constant exposure to the health system lit a fire in me, I wanted to help reduce the burden so that we could have more time together, but then I could see the flow on to the rest of the cystic fibrosis community and had to do more."
Heidi went on to raise $1 million for Cystic Fibrosis ACT through the cheeky Santa Speedo Shuffle.
She then led the local non-profit MIEACT through the pandemic, increasing access to mental health and wellbeing education for everyone from students to the elderly.
In January, Ms Prowse joined the team at Capital Region Community Services to lead a new division - strategy and impact - and has hit the ground running, implementing the organisation's social impact framework and kickstarting the revitalisation of the Belconnen Community Centre.
Ms Prowse dedicated her OAM to her late husband Andrew.
"Together we moved mountains and I will continue to do so," she said.
