The best-selling author will be the Australia Day Ambassador at Merriwa on Friday, January 26.

Although Ms De Vrye is Canadian by birth, she Australian by choice.

Abandoned as a baby, she was adopted by loving parents.

When she was 21, they died of cancer, within a year of each other. 

An only child, Ms De Vrye packed her bags for a three-month working holiday in Australia, arriving jobless and near penniless.

This led to a life-long journey to find her place in the world, as she waited tables, taught school, worked on a mine site and later discovered her biological father who was an eight-time Canadian champion rodeo cowboy.

The 1999 and 2010 Australian Keynote Speaker of the Year is a best-selling author of eight non-fiction books. 

Her memoir, Who Says I Can’t? was released by Random House and Bryce Courtenay says on the cover: “story of hope and perseverance - when’s the movie?”

Her previous offering, Hope Happens! …Words of Encouragement for Tough Times, reminds us that we can’t always control change, but we can always control our attitude toward it. 

Of her other best seller, Hot Lemon and Honey … Reflections For Success in Times of Change, Sir Edmund Hillary commented: “Information in the book can lead you on the road to success”.

Ms De Vrye has held numerous roles as an executive with IBM in sales, marketing, communications and human resources. 

She boasts a Master of Science degree and attended short courses at Harvard and the Mt Eliza Business School where she is a frequent lecturer; but believes the most important education is common sense.

A former board member of the NSW Police Service, Ms De Vrye was CEO of Young Achievement Australia and also worked for Ministers of Consumer Affairs, Education and Sport where she was involved in the establishment of the award-winning Life Be In It fitness campaign.

Now, one of the most sought-after speakers in Australia today, who’s presented on five continents, she’s still a keen sportswoman herself.

She’s cycled over the Andes, climbed 20,000 feet to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro, trekked to Everest Base Camp and Timbuktu. 

Yet, her most memorable moment was when, as a proud Aussie, she was humbled and honoured to carry the Olympic Torch on the day of the opening ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympics … on behalf of her adopted country.