Torney, who is from the state of Victoria, won the Northern Grampians Country Citizen of the Year after being selected by the local council.

He was chosen for his "outstanding community work, youth work in sports, and efforts to develop the city of St. Arnaud and the surrounding area".

Together with his wife, Tessa, Torney owns and operates a local sports club where he organises sambo classes and provides training opportunities for young people in and around the city.

Thanks to his efforts, a team of five junior athletes went to Sydney to participate in the National Sambo Championships.

He aims to make the sport accessible to everyone regardless of their financial situation by providing uniforms for classes free of charge and sponsoring sports camps for socially disadvantaged youth.

Temesi took the athlete crown in Cairns, Queensland after competing at the World Championships in Kyrgyzstan.

He qualified for the event in capital city Bishkek after triumphing on the national level.

Temesi was unable to reach the podium but still put in an impressive performance.

In addition to his athlete achievements, he is an active coach.

Temesi regularly trains young athletes who have already competed at regional level competitions.