2019-05-01+The+Australian+Womens+Weekly

52 The Australian Women’s Weekly|MAY 2019

Interview

NEWSPIX. COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM.

Left:Johanna

picturedin1994.

Above:Proud

grandparents

Johannaand

ToddwithJax.

Sevenre-signedherfull-timein 2001)
werealsoonherside,allowingthe
youngmumflexibleworkinghours
toaccommodateschoolrunsand
Saturdaymorningactivities.
“InthesixyearsI hosted
Sportsworld[Johannajoinedthe
Melbourne-basedlivesportsshowin
2001],I’ddothekids’sportsin the
mornings,getthemsortedandthen
bowlofftotheairportandstayupall
nightcatchinguponthesportofthe
week,”shesaysofthosewhirlwind
days.“I’dhosttheshowthenextday,
thenflystraightbacktoSydneyand
pickupthekids.It becamea routine.
I’dtakethemtothemoviesand
I wouldalmosttieusalltogether
becauseI wouldliterallyfallasleep
andwakeupat theendofthemovie,
justsoI’dhaveenoughenergytoget
throughtotheSundaynight. You
findwaysofcoping.”

Lovemakesa splash
Johannahadre-enteredthedating
poolafterherbreakupwithGary,
butthenherbrotherintroducedher
toa friend,buildingforemanTodd
Huggins,andloveswiftlyfollowed.
Theboysweresevenandeightwhen
Johannaleftthecountrytohostthe
WinterOlympics,butTodd’svisits
tohersonsdidn’tstop.Andit sealed
thedealonwhatwasalreadya
headyromance.
“Hewouldturnupeveryday
andeitherkicka footie,dotheir
homeworkwiththemorhangwith
themandwatchTV,”Johannarecalls.
“Thatwassucha monumentalthing
todo.He’snevertriedtobetheboys’
dadbecausetheyhavea dadbutheis
100 percenta personwhoinfluences
them,whotheystillgoto.Theyjust
adorehim.I’mstillgiddilyin love
withToddandI can’traveenough
abouthimasa person,hisvalues
andhowheliveshislife.”
In2006,thepairmarriedin a small,
privateceremony.Today,theyrun
a constructioncompanytogether,
renovatinghousesoftheirown.
Keepingthingsfamily-firsthasremained
theirpriority.“We’reprobablya bit
morerelaxedonthatnowthatthe
boys are adults because it was actually

moreaboutthem,”Johannasaysof

whytheytrytostayoutofthepublic

eye.“Butalsoit’sthatthingofhow

youstartis howyoufinish.They

knowthatwhenwegoout,I willget

stoppedbutthat’sa beautifulthing

andit’swhyI stillhavea job,because

peoplearestillengagingwithme.

Noneofthemcanresentthatbecause

we’vegota greatlife.Butwhenwe’re

home,whenweclosethedoor,it’sjust

aboutthefamilyunit.”

It’smeantherboys– despitehaving

twofamousparents– havehada

regularupbringingwithalltheups

anddownsthatcomewithgrowing

up.“Imadelotsofmistakesasa

parent,theymadelotsofmistakes

askids,buttheywereabletodothat

outofthepubliceyebecausethelines

wereneverblurred,”saysJohanna.

InMarch2018,thatfamilyunit

expandedashersonJoeandhis

then-partnerKatieButtelwelcomed

theirson– andJoanna’sfirst

grandchild– Jax.

“Thatbabyis thehappiest,most

chilled,extraordinarylittleboy,”

Johannagushes.“JoeandKatieare

doinga fabulousjobofco-parenting.

Bothfamilies,rightfromthego,

said, ‘He’sgoingtobelovedin any

directionhelooksin’– andhereally

is.Toddsaystomeallthetime,‘I can’t

believeyoucanlovethisway– it’s

a differentlovethatI evenhave

foryou.’”

Havinga grandsonin hislifeis,says

Johanna,a specialmomentforTodd

whowasasdevastatedasher,when

afterseveralunsuccessfulroundsof

IVF,doctorstoldthepairtheywere

amongthesmallpercentagethe

procedurewouldneverworkfor.

Theylookedintoadoption,reveals

Johanna,buta mix-upsawtheir

paperworkmissinga deadlinebyjust

12 hoursandtheyweretoldtostart

over. “I said to Todd, ‘What do you

reckon?’andhesaid,‘I thinkit’sthe

universetellingusjusttostop.It’snot

goingtohappenforus’.”

Todaythough,therearenoregrets.

“Therewasa NewYear’sEveoneyear

whenwewerewatchingthefireworks

andToddsaid:‘Thesearethemoments

thatarehard,’”Johannarecalls.

“Ilookedaroundand,deadset,we

hadsatbetween 10 peopleholding

newborns.I said,‘Oh,babe,I’mso

sorry.’Andhesaid,‘No,it’sonlya

momentandit willpass.’Weare

lucky,wehaveanamazinglife.We

havea farmthatis 100percentour

happyplaceandfeedsoursoul.We

havea lifeawayfromworkwherewe

areedgingclosertolivingoffthegrid.

Wedon’tspenda lotoftimegoing,

‘woeis us’.Wejustkindofaccepted

it andmovedon.”

Acceptingit’sokayif yourultimate

lifeplandoesn’tworkoutis something

Johannalearntallthoseyearsago

whenherswimmingcareerwascut

short.Andshecontinuestoimpart

thatnuggetofwisdom,bothtoher

ownchildren,andtotheyoung

athletesandaspiringTVpresenters

shemeetsalongtheway.

“Therearesomanyoptionsand

whenyou’reyoungyouthinkyou

havegottohaveallthosedecisions

made,”sheexplains.“At46,I’mstill

figuringit out.Youdon’thaveto

alwaysbethispicture-perfectsuccess.

Life’saboutupsanddownsandit makes

youappreciatethegoodbits.”AWW

HouseRulesairsSundayat 7pm,and

MondaytoWednesday at 7.30pm, on

the Seven Network.