There was a lovely moment at the 2019 Citizen of the Year award announcement at the University of Canberra on Friday when Virginia Haussegger was confronted by, well, Virginia Haussegger.
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The announcement that the Canberra Capitals and their supporters had been named Citizen of the Year was done in front of a huge image of Haussegger, the director of the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis at the University of Canberra, the team's major sponsor.
It made sense, given Haussegger's ongoing campaign for equality for women, her inspiring quotes on the poster, and the award's acknowledgement of a team of truly excellent women.
The 2019 Australian of the Year for the ACT, Haussegger arrived at the event simply to show her support, in a Wonder Woman t-shirt and a purple International Women's Day ribbon pinned to it.
She had no idea the poster was even there and took a moment to recognise herself.
"I thought, 'That woman has the same glasses as me'," she said, with a laugh. UC is placing six of the mega-images around the campus, including of students, to tell their story about why they are at the university.
Haussegger had attended eight International Women's Day events during the week, spoken on panels and given speeches, despite still receiving treatment after undergoing surgery last year for bowel cancer. We all want to know how she is going.
"I'm doing very well and I've got to say I feel so, so grateful for the incredible support I've received from the community since my diagnosis was made public," she said.
"I've been really touched by how people responded, in a way I could never have imagined.
"I can't even find the words to explain how strengthening that support was, particularly when I was in a lot of trouble and very unwell and going through chemotherapy. I had a bad reaction to my first round of chemotherapy and spent a bit of time in emergency.
"And every now and then I get messages from people, many of whom I don't know, and the strength that gave me is almost indescribable. It was extraordinary. I'm not someone who prays but people would write to me or send me messages on social media and say, 'I'm praying for you' and I could feel it. I could feel it. I think it's really carried me.
"It's a journey...I will get my next test mid-year and we'll see how we go."
The much-loved former ABC-TV newsreader said being around so many inspirational women this week leading to International Women's Day had lifted her.
"I have been so buoyed by the young women that I'm hearing talk, talk about what they're doing and why and how they're doing it," she said. "I've actually driven away from every event feeling really uplifted and that everything's okay."
Virginia, you are a wonder woman.
