Shelton was raised on a farm in the central Victorian town of Darraweit Guim.[2][3] Shelton volunteered at Sunrise Cambodia at a young age and continued her involvement with the organisation and support for the children throughout her life.[4] In June 2015, Shelton married Syrian refugee Ahmad al-Haj, whom she met through mutual friends whilst she was living in Syria.[5]
Education
In 2012, Shelton completed a master's degree from the University of Bolton's International Multimedia Photojournalism program based in China.[6]
Career
An image by Tracey Shelton of an explosion from a tank shell in Aleppo
Shelton began her career in 2005 in Cambodia, freelancing and later working for The Phnom Penh Post, Post Khmer and Seven Days magazine.[6] She was on assignment in Iraq when she moved to Libya to cover the civil war. She was tied and brutally beaten in her hotel room in Benghazi during a robbery and attempted kidnapping, from which she escaped by jumping to another balcony.[7][8] She later obtained exclusive video of the death of Muammar Gaddafi.[9]
In September 2012, Shelton was reporting on rebel fighters near the front lines in Aleppo. Shortly after a warning that a Syrian tank was near, Shelton filmed a shell impact as it exploded nearby, killing three of the four rebels at the position.[10] Images and accounts of the encounter and Shelton's reporting style were widely redistributed by traditional news sites as well as social media.[11][12] In her account of the incident, Shelton said, "I was covered in the dust and debris; it started really coming down. So I ran back a bit, and we stood back behind this cloud and were waiting for these guys, the guys to come running through.... and no one came."[13]
Shelton was presented with the George Polk Award for Video Reporting by Carl Bernstein for a series of video reports on Aleppo, Syria throughout 2012. Bernstein remarked that Shelton had communicated "the human tragedy of the conflict in Syria in a way that is impossible to ignore or forget. Through powerful video, viscerally engaging images and authoritative writing, she gave voice and face to those most affected by the civil war."[14]
It was announced in September 2022 that Shelton, who had volunteered at the Sunrise Cambodia orphanage since 1998, would be taking over leadership of the charity network from Geraldine Cox.[4]
^Zahidi, Farahnaz; Sanober, Ahmed (20 December 2015). "Love in War". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 19 February 2021. The couple met socially when Tracey was living in Syria...After trying for six months, the couple got married in June this year.
