At just 18, Giaan Rooney was part of the Sydney 2000 Olympics superstar swimming team, winning two silver medals as part of the women’s 4×200-metre freestyle relay and the 4x 100-metre medley relay.
Just four years later, she did one better and finally achieved her dream of winning a gold medal when she and her teammates, Leisel Jones, Petria Thomas and Jodie Henry broke a world record at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, propelling them onto that highly coveted top podium position.
Now, two decades on, Giaan is revealing the advice she would give to her younger self and spills why she never thought she’d become an Olympian.
WATCH: Giaan Rooney on finding the sweet spot of motherhood
What were you like as a 12-year-old girl?
I was a pretty quiet 12-year-old, but always determined – if I was going to do something I was going to do it to the best of my ability. I was playing netball in the winter and swimming all through the summer and considering we lived in a cul-de-sac, there was always a number of kids to play with after school and on weekends.
What advice would you give your 12-year-old self?
If I could give my 12-year-old self any advice, it would be to enjoy the idyllic childhood I was afforded and to rest assured that I would be capable of any challenges that my future could throw at me.
Did you always dream of being an Olympian?
I couldn’t even conceive becoming an Olympian until I was on the verge of making the actual Olympic team as a 17-year-old, in my mind it was only ‘superheroes’ who went to an Olympics and still completely blows my mind that I managed to go to two.
Did you plan to attend the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo before it was rescheduled?
I was meant to be commentating at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics until it was rescheduled for 2021, I desperately hope we are in a position for them to go ahead next year, it would be a great way to celebrate the world-conquering COVID-19.
What’s the best thing about watching the Olympics from the sidelines?
I take my role as commentator very seriously because I feel a huge responsibility to the athletes to tell their stories correctly. I almost get more nervous before a big race that features an Aussie now than I did when I was competing, as now I understand the enormity of that situation in a different light – I sometimes feel like a proud parent egging on their child!
What’s your advice to any budding swimmers out there hoping to achieve what you have?
My only advice to any budding swimmers out there is to love it. There is no way you can dedicate yourself to any sport at an elite level if you don’t love the challenge and the basics of the sport in the first place.
Tell us about your collaboration with LEGO Super Mario?
To celebrate the launch of the new LEGO Super Mario range I worked with LEGO and Nintendo to create a really fun piece of video content which transported me back to my youth, roller skates and all! As a kid, LEGO ruled in our house, as did challenging my brother in Super Mario on the Nintendo, so to hear that the two brands had collaborated to make one new innovative range was not only exciting for me but something I was keen to be involved in!
What is so great about LEGO Super Mario?
I love that not only does this new range take me right back to great memories of my childhood but that it’s something I can now share with my own kids. The fact that it encourages creativity by its design means that my kids are challenging themselves on a number of different levels and using their imagination to devise a course they can conquer in 60 secs while trying to beat their own score!
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