Advancing through every stage of the Lions Youth of the Year Program, Ryan Toole has proudly represented Grenfell Lions Club and The Henry Lawson High School as well as the wider Grenfell community.

This year Ryan won regional and state levels of the Lions Youth of the Year Program advancing through to the national level which was held in Adelaide last week.

Throughout all levels of the program Ryan stood out for his authenticity and genuine responses, connecting confidently with judges and audiences, demonstrating qualities that are highly valued by the program and admired in the community.

The Henry Lawson High School celebrated Ryan's achievements during the national finals which were livestreamed last week.

"It was inspiring to see his hard work in action," The Henry Lawson High School shared.

"Ryan’s success is an exceptional accomplishment and reflects not only his individual effort but also the support of everyone around him.

"We would like to acknowledge the value of programs like Lions Youth of the Year that encourage young people to develop their public speaking, leadership and citizenship skills.

"We look forward to seeing the many successes Ryan will achieve in the future, and what an achievement it is to represent

his state and be among the top six nationally."

Isabella Chalker from Western Australia was named the Overall Winner and Public Speaking Winner of the 2026 Lions Youth of the Year.

Isabella impressed judges with her confidence, leadership and outstanding speaking skills throughout the competition.

Lions Australia congratulated all of this year's contestants.

"You should all be incredibly proud of the passion, talent and dedication you brought to the program. The future is shining brightly," Lions Australia shared.

The national convention wasn't all about public speaking for the contestants though as they had the opportunity to visit the assistance dogs' facility at Mt Barker, followed by seeing the views of Adelaide from Mt Lofty and a visit to the famous Beerenberg Farm prior to the public speaking event.

Congratulations to Ryan and his wonderful achievement in the Lions Youth of the Year Program and for being a wonderful representative of Grenfell.