Community champion Jim Waight named Citizen of the Year

A NETWORK of Ballarat residents, Jim Waight says, has been central to the hundreds of thousands of dollars his cycling team has raised for cancer research and awareness, and to his recognition as the city’s 2026 Citizen of the Year.

Mr Waight received the honour at a ceremony at Civic Hall last week. Jimmy’s Licorice Allsorts, the cycling team he founded with a group of friends, has raised more than $300,000 for the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute.

He said the recognition validated the efforts of the 34 cyclists, volunteers and supporters behind Jimmy’s Licorice Allsorts.

Since 2021, the team has ridden about 18,000km across five consecutive Murray to Moyne Cycle Relays.

“The connections are enormous,” Mr Waight said. “Each rider might have 30 individual sponsors, plus corporate sponsors. The level of support from the Ballarat community – and beyond – has been incredible.”

Mr Waight was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s follicular lymphoma in 2019, an experience he said became the catalyst for creating something positive.

“We created the team as a way to turn something that was negative into something quite positive for the community,” he said.

He said the Citizen of the Year award helped shine a light on the importance of cancer research.

Delaney Troon, meanwhile, was named Ballarat’s Youth Citizen of the Year for her work raising awareness of men’s mental health, and the Grill’d City Support Event received the 2026 Community Event of the Year award.

Ms Troon received the youth honour after raising more than $210,000 for Ballarat Men’s Mental Health by running 21 half marathons in 21 days. Her campaign highlighted the city’s suicide rates and the need for greater mental health support.

The Grill’d City Support Event was recognised for providing free meals to people in need.