Which one of these over-65s will be our 2025 Senior Australian of the Year?

He grew up in Wollongong as Karl Sven Woytek Sas Konkovitch Matthew Kruszelnickic, the shy only child of Polish immigrants, Holocaust survivors, who came to Australia in 1950.

Now he's known simply as Dr Karl, Australia's lovably eccentric science enthusiast and educator.

And he packed a lot into his life before most of us came to know him as the science guy on radio Triple J.

He's worked as a physicist, labourer, roadie for bands, taxi driver, car mechanic, filmmaker, biomedical engineer, tester for four-wheel drives in the outback, TV weatherman and medical doctor at the Children's Hospital in Sydney.

Last year he released his autobiography, A Periodic Tale, and was named the 2025 Senior Australian of the Year for NSW.

This week he is one of the nine inspiring achievers in line to be named our Senior Australian of the Year when the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards are announced on the eve of Australia Day.

So, what is 76-year-old Dr Karl's best advice for healthy ageing?

"You choose your parents wisely," he told The Senior, publisher ACM's monthly newspaper for older Australians.

"And you wear sunblock and try to do exercise - eat well and do exercise.

"You can do exercise at any stage of your life. People lose muscle strength as they get older unless they're athletes who keep on doing exercise. If you stop doing exercise you lose a lot of strength. It's a combination of exercise and diet plus plain good luck with genes."

ACM, the publisher of this masthead, is official media partner of the Australian of the Year Awards, which are presented by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Saturday, January 25.

The following profiles and pictures of each state/territory's Senior Australian of the Year for 2025 have been supplied by the National Australia Day Council, organisers of the Australian of the Year Awards.

Peter Ralston OAM (75) and his wife Marilyn Ralston (74) have made it possible for people with vision impairment or other disabilities in the ACT to walk or run at mainstream events and enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle.

Peter is founder and president of Achilles Running Club Canberra, which he and Marilyn began in 2013. Volunteer guides team up with people with disability at fun runs, club training and the weekly park run.

In the past three years, Peter has guided blind athletes 120 times at the park run, and Achilles Canberra has enabled several blind members to each achieve hundreds of runs.

Peter and Marilyn also serve the community; Peter as a member of Lions Club of Canberra Belconnen; and Marilyn at St John's Care, at Reid.

In recognition of his service to sport for people who are blind or have low vision, Peter was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2020.

Science enthusiast and educator Dr Karl Kruszelnicki AM brings science to life with wit and charm.

In 1981, he walked into ABC Radio station Triple J and offered to talk about the space shuttle launch. Great Moments in Science ran while Karl pursued his medical career.

Karl may have continued in paediatric medicine had it not been for the death of a baby from whooping cough. At the time, disinformation was circulating that vaccines didn't work. Appalled by the harm caused, Karl decided to quit medicine and make science communication his full-time career.

Karl presented on Quantum, co-hosted Sleek Geeks and appears regularly on radio and TV. His national weekly, one-hour science talkback show on Triple J, Science with Dr Karl, attracts more than 750,000 listeners, while the podcast downloads are over six million.

He's authored 48 science books and even built a machine to pick up electrical signals from the human retina for Fred Hollows. With infectious enthusiasm, 76-year-old Karl continues his mission to spread the good news about science and its benefits.

For more than 40 years community volunteer and founder of Seniors Of Excellence NT Michael Foley OAM has been contributing to the recognition of senior citizens in our communities and their mental wellbeing.

Michael saw a need for seniors to be acknowledged for the hours of volunteer work they do every day. In 2014, he founded Seniors Of Excellence NT, inspiring senior citizens to share their valuable expertise and see the value of achievement that comes through community service.

He went on to establish the Seniors Of Excellence NT Award to recognise their selfless work, with 183 seniors receiving the award since 2014.

Michael has raised thousands of dollars and volunteered countless hours for community organisations such as Cancer Care NT, Variety and Royal Darwin Hospital Palliative Care Hospice. He's also served on the board of directors of the National Heart Foundation Australia (Northern Territory).

At 84 years of age, Michael continues to ensure the contributions of seniors are not forgotten.

Social worker and scholar Dr Bronwyn Herbert completed a Bachelor of Social Work at the age of 40, her master's at age 61, and was awarded her PhD last year at the age of 90.

As a child, Bronwyn saw her parents give food and clothing to people who were struggling. Then, as a new widow experiencing grief with a newborn, she noticed no help was available to a young couple in the same hospital who had lost their baby. Bronwyn enrolled in a social work course and embarked on a career that has lasted 60 years.

As a social worker, Bronwyn noticed many children who experienced homelessness with their parents, fell into homelessness as adults.

She wanted to know why - and retired at 81 so she would have time to study this for her thesis.

Now 91, Bronwyn's work and research has changed countless lives nationally and contributed to a better understanding of homelessness and how to break the cycle.

Indigenous advocate and knowledge holder Charles Jackson OAM's passion has been working with Indigenous Australians for more than 50 years.

The youngest of fourteen children, Charles didn't go through mainstream schooling. He left home at 15 years of age and began his working life as a drover.

He's held many jobs including, marriage celebrant, cultural awareness teacher, board member, services coordinator and NDIS officer.

Charles was the first Aboriginal in Australia to become a JP in 1978. All of his various roles reflect Charles' unwavering commitment to the underserved members of his community.

Today, Charles is a knowledge holder for Flinders Ranges Nation and working towards Wilpena Pound becoming a world heritage site.

Charles' latest venture is his new business, Urndu - an organisation that helps the Aboriginal community via culturally appropriate training and provides support and resources for people with disabilities or age-related impairments.

Through his role as an advocate for the Aboriginal and wider community, the 76-year-old hopes to create a brighter future for all.

Gynaecological oncologist Associate Professor Penelope Blomfield's life's work has been dedicated to improving the quality and longevity of life for her patients and others affected by gynaecological cancers.

In 2000, she became the first female gynaecological oncologist in Tasmania and has remained at the forefront of the continuous advancement of medical research, both as an associate professor at the University of Tasmania and an active contributor to a range of research studies.

Holding various leadership and advisory positions in her field, Penelope has provided submissions to government committees, advice to numerous cancer advocacy groups and contributed to multiple research papers.

In 2018, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to her field, she was appointed by the Federal Minister for Health to the Cancer Australia Advisory Council and was reappointed in 2021.

Penelope, now 65, is passionate about addressing the disparities faced by many women diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer and champions best and innovative care.

Sports medicine leader and health campaigner Dr Peter Brukner OAM profoundly inspired a generation of sports medicine practitioners as the co-author of the widely used textbook, Clinical Sports Medicine.

Peter founded the largest sports medicine centre in Australia: Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre in Melbourne and is a founding member of the Australasian College of Sports Physicians, where he played a vital role in developing and recognising sports medicine as a full medical specialty.

As Professor of Sports Medicine at Latrobe University, he established the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, a world-leading research centre in sports medicine.

After his own health issues, 72-year-old Peter established the not-for-profit SugarByHalf, which has produced far-reaching lessons for schoolchildren on the adverse effects of excessive added sugar.

He wrote the best-selling books, A Fat Lot of Good and The Diabetes Plan, and founded Defeat Diabetes, an app- and web-based program endorsed by Diabetes Australia that aims to send type 2 diabetes into remission.

Brother Thomas Oliver (Olly) Pickett AM co-founded Wheelchairs For Kids in 1996 to provide adjustable wheelchairs and occupational therapy expertise for children in developing countries, free of charge.

Since then, more than 60,000 custom-built wheelchairs have been given to children in over 80 countries.

With more than 250 retiree workshop volunteers, Wheelchairs For Kids is one of Western Australia's largest (and with an average age of 74, one of Australia's oldest) volunteer-led charities. A further 550 people from aged care and community groups sew covers for wheelchair soft supports, and crochet rugs and soft toys.

Olly also spearheaded the development of an innovative, low-cost wheelchair design to World Health Organization standards that grows as the children do - a world first. Wheelchairs For Kids is just one way that Olly has improved the lives of others.

For 26 continuous years, 84-year-old Olly's life-changing community service has ignited a ripple effect of kindness and generosity.