NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS

You’re right to think she could be nuts for starting a macadamia farm with no experience, but swimming icon Giaan Rooney loves nothing more than a challenge. Read the story of how the Olympian, her husband and kids packed up the city life to start their own business in the bush. She continues to inspire!

Giaan Rooney has a whole other life in front of the public – a speaker, an MC, swimming commentator, a brand ambassador – but at home, she is a macadamia farmer. Features Editor Ros Reines, chats with the Australian swimming legend and Olympic gold medalist at her macadamia farm in northern New South Wales

Giaan Rooney is poised on one foot.

Not on the starting block but still balancing serenely, headphones on, in her quest for perfection.

This time it is macadamia nuts.

Her famous face is expressionless as she flicks any ugly ‘macs,’ including those nibbled on by scavengers, into Nut Siberia.

No longer staying in her lane, Giaan Rooney is now a fully fledged macadamia farmer.

“It’s my job through the harvesting period to be at the sorting table to review the nuts that go past,” she explains. “So, I’m in the shed, sorting nuts and it’s very noisy from the equipment, which is why I have the headphones on.”

Rooney is chatting over the phone from her family’s farm in northern NSW. She and her husband, Sam Levett – a fifth generation cattle farmer – decided to go into macadamia farming after falling in love with a property, just 25 minutes from Lismore, with a picturesque weatherboard farmhouse.

That was around three years ago.

So, they moved from their big city life in Queensland with their children, Zander, 9 and Lexi, 6, later buying a second farm close by.

It’s my job through the harvesting period to be at the sorting table to review the nuts that go past

[I] wasn’t even aware that macadamias were native to Australia … The farm is wonderful, I feel so lucky to be living here and leading this life

Giaan agrees that it was certainly a nutty move as they were hardly experienced growers.

Levett had never dealt with these kinds of crops before. Rooney says that she wasn’t even aware that macadamias were native to Australia and wondered about employing “nut pickers.”

However, they threw themselves into their new life after deciding, ‘how hard could it be?’

The couple had no idea that they were embarking on a classic hero’s journey and would be plagued by several key factors including nature and the economy. The payoff is that after 12 years of marriage, the experience has brought them even closer.

“The farm is wonderful, I feel so lucky to be living here and leading this life,” Rooney remarks “but it certainly hasn’t come without its challenges.”

Since they took over, the price of macadamias plummeted from $6 a kilo to $1.70 and then came the rains.

In February `22, the biggest flood in modern Australian history inundated the Northern Rivers, swamping Lismore.

Around 33,000 people in the local government area were a ected by this event, with the Wilsons River levee overflowing and cutting off the Lismore township and major arteries.

“Our farm was okay but the road going in and out was under water,” Rooney says. “We were cut off for five days with the first flood, and three days for the second flood, which was scary. But so many other people around us were worse off.

“A lovely family who lost everything in Lismore came to stay with us in our spare farmhouse for seven months. So, I guess you could say that perspective was always close by.”

The difference for Giaan and Sam is that they work full time, so they don’t have to rely on making a living off their crops to survive.

The message is that we’re all different and unique, but our differences are our superpowers

“When your income is attached to your property, there’s so much you can’t control, it creates a very stressful existence,” she says.

“Right now, we’re just riding out the bad times. But we’re still very thankful to be living here and enjoying this lifestyle.”

Giaan Rooney has a whole other life in front of the public where she plays multiple roles as a speaker, an MC, swimming commentator and as a brand ambassador.

She is in the city most days of the week, while Levett works from home on The Herd Online – his web-based marketing company for livestock sales.

He’s also able to look after the needs of the kids.

“It’s a fortunate life,” she says. “I get to have wonderful adult conversations and fill up my cup with that but when I’m home, I’m mum. So, that’s how I justify it. I get a lot of quality time with the kids.”

Admittedly, she does know a thing or two about communicating with children, as the published author of a book called Lemon The Llama, which includes stories around inclusiveness.

“The message is that we’re all di erent and unique, but our differences are our superpowers,” she explains. “It’s what we bring to the table.

Kindness is paramount as we’re all connected and we should all work together. This is what we’re designed to do as humans.”

She wants Zander and Lexi to be gentle humans.

I consider food to be one of the greatest joys in life but I’m not the greatest cook on the planet

With this in mind, Rooney would not wish the “brutal” life of a champion swimmer for either of them. She’s seen first-hand what it can do to athletes, especially those who break records out of the pool but fail to perform on race day. Thankfully, she fulfilled her own ambitions, breaking records in the pool.

“There’s such a small margin between being successful and failing,” she says.

“The kids enjoy being in our pool on the farm. They’re water safe and confident. But are they going to make the Australian swimming team? At this stage it’s a strong no.”

Rooney believes it always hard for the children of athletes to follow their parents, as there’s way too many expectations.

“I would love for them to find their own thing and I’ll be 100% supportive. But it will have to be their dream and whatever their dream is, I’ll back it in,” she says.

In the meantime, there’s work to be done on the farm, as it’s the family’s turn to host Christmas this year, with 12 people sitting around the table. Rooney is keeping it simple.

“I consider food to be one of the greatest joys in life but I’m not the greatest cook on the planet,” she laughs.

There will be a seafood starter, her husband’s famous potato bake, salads, ham and turkey – in fact, all the makings of a traditional Australian country Christmas.

Macadamia nuts will also make a special appearance at the table. “I do macadamia and prosciutto on the outside with herbs, garlic and breadcrumbs and then it all goes into the oven,” she says. “It really adds something to the turkey.”

Finally, the adults will enjoy a glass of Mac By Brookie’s – a premium roasted macadamia & wattleseed liqueur, crafted with natural ingredients.

[Giaan] may no longer be in the fast lane but she’s still deriving pleasure from every stroke

Rooney consumes macadamias with nearly every meal and believes them to be a superfood. Her ambition is to use her celebrity status to launch her own brand of macadamia milk, as an alternative to cow’s milk.

“I would love that. Macadamias are naturally creamy, so you don’t have to add a lot to your coffee or cereal,” she insists. This brings us back to her role in the sorting shed and why it’s necessary to do this on one leg?

“I try not to sit and to alternate the leg that I’m standing on,” she explains. “It’s about improving my balance. I’m not great at it but I certainly relish the challenge and it’s really quite meditative.”

In fact, Giaan Rooney’s life has always been about balance. She may no longer be in the fast lane but she’s still deriving pleasure from every stroke.