Mrs Broadbridge said the award was a bittersweet honour, because it came at the expense of so many lives.
She has established a fund, which helps teenagers, in his memory.
She has also raised money to build a school on Phi Phi island to help Thai children affected by the disaster.
But she said her example should not be used as a model for people going through the grieving process.
"I don't want people to think if you lose someone you have to go and build a school or start up a foundation, because that's what I chose to do and it worked for me," she said.
"It's not for everyone. Troy would be really proud of me and that's all that matters."
