Ballarat cyclist and non-for-profit organisation founder Nick Locandro was left nearly speachless after winning the city's Citizen of the Year award on Friday evening.
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When he arrived at the stage to receive his award, only one word initially left his mouth.
"Crikey," he said, which was met by laughter in the crowd.
This echoed last year's award winner Marilyn Tyndall, who was equally astounded when she found out she had won.
"When I was nominated the information I was given said all nominees had to prepare a speech... I didn't bother because I thought I had no chance of winning," he laughed.
Mr Locandro has spent the past few years championing the spread of information about younger onset dementia, a disease which his father battled with for six years before is eventual passing.
The cyclist founded the non-for-profit foundation This is Dementia to help spread information about and raise money for the disease.
Mr Locandro used his time on the podium to praise the other award nominees and thank the community for helping him achieve as much as he has.
"I would never have been able to achieve any of this without the continued support from the Ballarat community," he said.
"This all started to just get people talking about younger onset dementia... I never could have anticipated anything like this coming from my work.
"I'm very humbled to receive this award and am going to leverage it to continue pushing forward and doing more work."
The next award presented was the Young Citizen of the Year, which went to Aleasha Kelly, who was not present to accept the award because she was outside with protesters calling for the City of Ballarat to cancel it's planned Australia Day fireworks at Lake Wendouree.
Ms Kelly did eventually accept her award from City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Ben Taylor later in the evening.
The Community Event of the Year award went to the Ballarat Roller Skate Fit Club, which was accepted by Marcia King.
Ms King, like Mr Locandro, was unprepared for her victory.
"I didn't expect this at all," she said.
Ms King praised the community members who are involved with the club, which promotes an inclusive exercise program, for making it what is has become.
"The club has gotten bigger than any of us could have ever expected... We have an amazing community within our club and I'm just so grateful for all of them."
Ms King was also nominated for the Citizen of the Year award.
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