International honour for Moorabool woman

By Lachlan Ellis

A 19-year-old Ballan woman has added another award to her trophy cabinet, being named the Young Woman of the Year at a British award ceremony for her charity work last week.

Keeley Johnson founded Keeley’s Cause with her mum Sharon Murphy in 2017, with the goal of helping other kids with intellectual disabilities access iPads to enhance their learning.

On Wednesday 19 April, Keeley was named Young Woman of the Year at the Women Changing the World Awards, her fourth award for her charity work in four years.

Ms Murphy said she was beyond proud of Keeley, and inspired by how she’d grown and responded to the adversity she faced at school.

“She was a bit shocked and overwhelmed, but grateful and excited when I rang her to tell her. When I told her she’d won, she went ‘What? Me, I won it?’, then after a while it kind of sunk in,” Ms Murphy told the Moorabool News.

“I’m very proud. When you have a child with a disability, they come with limitations and health conditions, she has a few health conditions on top of her autism and intellectual disability that really impact on her life. I’ve always tried to teach her to be the best version of herself, and she’s kicking goals. I’m so proud of her for the charity she created and the success it’s having, it’s phenomenal.

“I’m biased because she’s my daughter, so I think what she’s doing is amazing and I’ll support her 100 per cent to the hilltops…but when people recognise her for awards like this, obviously they’re seeing what I see in her.”

Ms Johnson also received a Moorabool Shire Access & Inclusion Award in 2020, was one of two Australians awarded with a Diana Award in 2020, and won a Stevie Award in 2021.