Kerry Bray's passion for running has proved very beneficial to the community.
For 40 years, Ms Bray has helped organise community running groups and events, including parkrun at Menai and Cronulla.
Ms Bray, of Cronulla, was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to running, and to the community in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Her involvement as an organiser started as a founding member of Woodstock Runners, one of Sydney's largest and most successful groups.
"We were living at Burwood in 1978 when the council purchased a beautiful old mansion called Woodstock from the federal government and turned it into a community facility," Ms Bray recalled.
"They surveyed residents about what sort of activities they would like based there and about 150 people ticked 'yes' to a jogging group.
"However, only five people, including my son Rohan and I, turned up for a meeting and, after our first one kilometre run, only three of us kept going.
"We persevered and gradually more people joined us and we extended the distance to 3.3km to 5.5km and eventually 10km.
"In 1981, our first team ran in the Sutherland to Surf and in 1985 we started Saturday morning runs.
"Woodstock Runners now has about 200 members and I think is the best in Sydney."
Ms Bray and her son Damon started parkrun at Menai in 2015 and Cronulla the following year.
Parkruns started in the UK and spread to many countries, with 300 locations in Australia.
The Menai event has had up to 250 participants, while the more challenging Cronulla course usually attracts 50-60 runners.
The runs are held every Saturday morning, are free and open to everyone, but have been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We have Olympians through to people who walk or push babies in prams," Ms Bray said.
"There is no prize for winning, but you can challenge yourself to better your time or beat someone else."
Ms Bray said one of the great advantages of running was being able to do it anywhere.
"You can walk out your front door and start running," she said. "I run most days. I love it."
Ms Bray worked as a volunteer for the 2000 Sydney Olympics from 1992 and was a torch runner at Cronulla and member of the Olympic Communicators Team.
She has been a great supporter of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service since the 1970s, making more than 600 blood and plasma donations.
