Cassandra was selected under the theme, Australian Stars Rising Above, which celebrates up and coming Australians who are achieving beyond their years and making positive changes in their community.

After the loss of her mother as a child, Cassandra battled anxiety and depression with her weight increasing to 115kg in her early 20’s.

Drawing inspiration and strength from her personal experience to turn her life around, Cassandra was driven to help others to reach their goals and provide support to people suffering from low self-esteem.

As a healthy lifestyle and positive body image advocate, Cassandra rode a horse from Brisbane to Sydney, visiting 60 schools for her educational ‘What About Life!’ campaign, raising funds for the Ted Noffs Foundation.

“With so many pressures on people these days I think it’s important for young people to have a role model who promotes healthy living. I love showing that it can be so easy and make you so happy,” Cassandra said.