Born to Vietnamese refugee parents in a community plagued by heroin, Tony joined gangs at 13 and made as much as $10,000 a week dealing drugs, until a life-altering encounter in 2004 changed his path. Now with two decades of experience speaking in schools and mentoring young people, Tony shares his raw, real story of redemption to empower others to break destructive cycles and embrace hope.
On February 1st, 2020, Danny and Leila Abdallah's world turned upside down when a car driven by a drunk and drugged driver tragically killed three of their precious children. Within 24 hours, Leila and Danny challenged us all on TV screens with their response to forgive the driver. One year later, Danny and Leila founded 'i4Give Day' and now look to share their powerful message of hope and forgiveness.
Joany Badenhorst is Australia’s pioneering female Para-snowboarder and a two-time Winter Paralympian, serving as flag bearer at PyeongChang 2018. She lost her left leg below the knee in a tractor accident at age 10 but went on to win five World Cup golds and two Crystal Globes. Since retiring in 2019, Joany inspires audiences with her story of resilience, determination, and breaking barriers.
Bailey Seamer is a 24 year old mental health advocate, who with incredible courage walked the East Coast of Australia over 14 months, finishing in 2022. She embarked on this journey following her own experience battling mental health, to raise funds for the Black Dog Institute. Baileys lived experience and insights into what it truly feels like to be in a dark space, helps to inspire and encourage others that better days are ahead, you are not alone and that you are capable of achieving your goals, no matter how big they are.
Daniel 'D Minor' Harvey is an award-winning rapper, songwriter, and youth mentor from Sydney. At 11, he became homeless with his twin brother, an experience that inspired his hit single “Concrete Pillow.” Music became his refuge and platform for change. Through Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD), he now mentors at-risk youth, using his story to inspire resilience and self-worth. Daniel has performed on Australia’s Got Talent and represented Australia at the World Championships of Performing Arts, earning gold in the vocal rap division.
Jael began singing as soon as she could talk. Her musically talented father came to Australia from the Congo as a refugee and raised all his children to sing beautifully. In 2018, Jael was named the Australian entrant for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. She proudly represented Australia in 2018, singing her powerful and uplifting song ‘Champion’, placing first with the Jury. Now 16 years old, Jael has cemented herself in Australia’s Music Industry with jaw dropping performances on shows such as The Voice and Australia’s Got Talent. With vocal abilities like Whitney Houston, Jael is sure to capture the hearts of the world.
Michael Crossland has the ability to captivate the imagination of young people to encourage and inspire them with his story. Michael has defied the odds of a life- threatening cancer to build a life of achievements as an accomplished businessman and an elite sportsman. His message of hope and overcoming adversity has seen Michael invited back year after year to Stand Tall.
Timomatic (Tim Omaji) is a Nigerian-born Australian entertainer, acclaimed singer-songwriter, dancer, and performer who has captivated audiences across music, theatre, and television. Arriving in Australia as a baby, Tim’s creative journey began early amid a household filled with music and movement. After rising to public attention via So You Think You Can Dance (2009) and Australia’s Got Talent (2011), he released the hit single “Set It Off”, which went 4× platinum. Timomatic has since headlined tours, performed alongside international acts such as Pitbull and Nicki Minaj, and brought his artistry to major productions like Moulin Rouge. He uses his platform to champion identity, perseverance and the power of pursuing dreams.
