At the Brunswick Heads beachfront, towering structures made from driftwood, fallen logs and twigs look even more dramatic against the stormy sky. Torrential rain is battering the place, the wind whipping wildly as we scuttle around trying to erect umbrellas, tarps and more in the hope of keeping the set dry and clear for our star arrival.
In the distance, a red-headed boy races towards us, whooping triumphantly as he spots our makeshift camp. They’d been dropped off at the wrong spot, he tells us; he’ll let his mum and sister know where we are.
A few minutes pass and finally the rain seems to be easing up. A rainbow appears. Then a double rainbow. And like magic, Leila McKinnon appears over the dunes, trailed by her two tousle-haired children, her grin wide and welcoming as she slowly makes her way towards us.
Sand and hills aren’t a great match for crutches and a leg cast. And given she’s had a long trek today, you’d forgive her for being less than impressed. But as the newly-crowned Australian Ninja Warrior host, Leila assures us she’s in her element.
“Everything is like running a Ninja course for me at the moment,” she laughs, as she hops her way down the sandy hill. “But this is fun, and the kids are loving it.”
The kids – Ted, nine, and Gwen, eight – have already peeled away, competing in a cartwheeling competition as Leila positions herself for her first snap. Gwen’s hair had been carefully curled for the photo shoot, but within minutes she’s drenched – by the showers and the ocean – and a hasty topknot is employed, as well as a quick outfit change to keep her warm.
This story is from the July 2022 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2022 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
Take me to the river
With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.
The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.
Growing happiness
Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
