LEAVING school at just 14 years of age didn't stop Warwick's John Telfer from living a life so colourful it could be played out on the big screen.

An esteemed career in the RAAF, countless sporting medals and victories, numerous professional degrees and a teaching career that spanned five decades are just a few of the highlights of his adventures so far.

While many wander through life with sheer luck and fortune guiding them to their triumphs, this was not the case with our John Telfer.

His successes, his accomplishments, his victories - all were the result of one thing: A lot of hard work.

"I'm just a self-motivated person who realised what I needed in life and went and got it," he said.

Due to financial restraints, John left school as a teenager and joined the workforce in search of a skill.

After undertaking several jobs, he enlisted in the RAAF as a 17-year-old and quickly rose to the rank of sergeant and physical training instructor.

At 18 he was one of the youngest airmen to be promoted to corporal and his time in the air force would be the ignition to his future achievements.

Flight Lieutenant Bill Gamble gave a young John a shake-up.

"He said, 'Sergeant Telfer, you'll never get anywhere unless you improve your education', and that stuck with me - it made me feel inferior."

That feeling motivated the young sergeant to enrol in night school to study for his HSC.

"I used to hitch-hike into a technical college a couple of times a week," he said.

After his HSC, John went on to attain both a Bachelor and Diploma of Education, a Graduate Diploma in counselling and a Diploma of Christian Leadership.

Juggling studies with raising a young family with his wife, Joy, was not an easy task but John knew it would one day pay off.

"There were times I hid behind the door to study because the kids were trying to get in to me - it's hard but you have to do what you have to do," he said.

"The only way to get there was hard work - everything I've got I worked hard for.

"My wife, Joy, must take much of the credit for her love and support of me during everything."

Although much of his time was spent on enriching his mind, John also made it a priority to work on his physical self.

He has competed in 17 marathons - with his fastest time 2 hours and 38 minutes - and has raced at places including Brisbane, Melbourne, the Gold Coast and even London.

He was also a champion boxer, having won 27 of his 34 fights, and he represented the RAAF in five sports - athletics, rugby league, rugby union, basketball and boxing,

Although his talents in the ring could have taken him far in life, John was more interested in focusing on the sport he says was his real passion, rugby league.

This carried over into his teaching career, during which he was heavily involved in school sporting events, particularly state rugby league carnivals.

He also played a part in school events like Anzac Day ceremonies, school formals, camps and retreats, pastoral care and writing and editing the school newspaper.

This was just the beginning of his writing career, which led to him penning eight books and countless history articles that have been published here in the Daily News.

John has spent many hours trawling the internet and the Warwick Library for the tales behind the men who bravely fought for our country.

He was the driving force behind the placement of a digger's headstone at Tenterfield and even travelled to Singapore to get a photo of the grave sites of that same digger's brothers, both of whom died in the Battle of Singapore.

These stories have also gone on to return medals and other items to family members who sometimes didn't even know they existed.

Although these were often big jobs, it was worth all the hard work.

"I did one story for a woman who is blind, about her brothers, and she has it hanging on her wall. She can't see it but she knows it's there and that's important to her," John said.

"You might be out of pocket doing it but it is just something I enjoy.

"I like the research and getting those medals back - I enjoyed that.

"The thank yous you get and when people say the story brought the whole family together, that is what makes it worthwhile."

This year John's contribution to society was honoured by winning his second Australia Day Cultural Award and being nominated for Citizen of the Year.

Although shocked to take the award for the second time, John said the best part of it all was to know he was making a difference.

"It was the biggest surprise when they read my name as a nominee for the citizen of the year award and it is just nice to know there are people who appreciate what you do and are bothering to nominate me," he said.