Toni ATkinson married for love, but it came with a side of fame that was difficult to navigate. When her star-studded world caved in around her, she had to rebuild herself, and in the process discovered the ultimate luxury is happiness
I’m pulling off mud-encrusted, hay-filled gumboots, getting ready to cook a meal of salmon, baked potatoes and boiled greens that have been freshly pulled from the ground. My partner, Fanis, is preparing a roaring fire. It’s winter in Mykonos and we’ve spent the day repairing fences and cleaning up a field for his 17 horses to rest up during the cold season. I’ve never felt more at peace than I do right now, but that’s taking some getting used to.
In another life, I was married to the world motorcycle champion Wayne Gardner. We spent 20 years together, dividing our time between Monte Carlo and Sydney, travelling the world, renovating our farmhouse near Berry in southern New South Wales and our dream home overlooking Fairy Bower in Manly. We attended star studded events and socialised with celebrities. We had two beautiful sons. I was in love. Basically, we were living the dream.
The day I met Wayne, he asked me a question that possibly helped shape who I would become over the next two decades. I often wonder how one question could have so much influence over a person, but, as women, we tend to over analyse things men forget once they have an answer. “If you could choose one thing, money or love, what would it be?” At the time it seemed innocuous, but I later realised he was trying to establish whether I was interested in him only for his fame. I chose love. And I never forgot that question.
Denne historien er fra September 2018-utgaven av Harper's Bazaar Australia.
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Denne historien er fra September 2018-utgaven av Harper's Bazaar Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Grounded In Gotham
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Woman Of Influence Ingrid Weir
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CODE of HONOUR
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Stillness in time
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In the BAG
Aussie expat Vanissa Antonious from cult footwear brand Neous on going solo and stepping up her accessory offering.
uncut GEMMA
Forging her own path while paying it forward to the next generation, actor Gemma Chan is the (very worthy) recipient of the 2020 Women In Film Max Mara Face of the Future Award. She reflects on fashion, the Crazy Rich Asians phenomenon and red-carpet alter egos with Eugenie Kelly
THE TIME IS NOW
Esse Studios founder Charlotte Hicks’s slow-fashion model may just blaze a trail for the industry’s new normal. She talks less is more with Katrina Israel
COUPLES' THERAPY
Brooke Le Poer Trench ruminates on the trials and tribulations of too much time together
CALM IN A CRISIS
Caroline Welch was a busy woman who wrote a book on mindfulness for other busy women. Now, in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, she has started to take her own advice
ACCIDENTALLY RETIRED
As we settle into the new normal of lockdown, Kirstie Clements finds a silver lining in the excuse to slow down and sample the low-adrenaline lifestyle of chocolate digestives, board games and dressing down for dinner