Two feature stories on Wangaratta’s Belinda Curro and her cycling journey across Cambodia that appeared in The Border Mail’s won the prize for outstanding media coverage…

The awards were presented at Government House in Melbourne by Governor of Victoria, Alex Chernov late last year. The award is made for coverage that has enhanced participation in, contribution to and a greater understanding of the disability sport and recreation sector.

Independent judges for the award said Ms Wallace’s excellent stories had raised the awareness of the CyclePower project in which Ms Curro was involved.

Ms Wallace, a journalist for more than 30 years, said every so often a story came along, such as Ms Curro’s, that was “truly inspiring”. “I was so impressed by Belinda’s ‘can do’ attitude,” she said. “The mother of three young children was told she would never walk or talk again after having surgery for a brain tumour — how wrong they were.”

Editor of The Border Mail Di Thomas congratulated Ms Wallace on her win. “It’s not surprising that someone like Belinda was encouraged to share her story with Sue, one of our senior and most experienced feature writers,” Ms Thomas said.