She may have copped some flak in her time, but whatever you think of ironwoman-turned-It Takes Two singer Candice Falzon, there's no denying she's been blessed with beauty, talent and determination.

And boy can she paddle a surf ski! Last year she took to Sydney Harbour to compete in the annual Australia Day Surfboard Challenge, where she slugged it out with hundreds of other boardriders.

'You start at the Opera House and paddle across the harbour then under the bridge. It's spectacular to watch,' she says.

This Australia Day, Candice will take to the water again, to compete in the most Aussie of pursuits - a surf carnival at Sydney's Freshwater Beach. That's not bad for someone who's supposed to be more party girl than sportswoman.

But, as Candice knows, being successful in your sport - and having a killer body - comes at a cost. She staged a fantastic comeback last year, securing a spot in Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Iron Man Series, but it wasn't enough to silence her critics.

And now she's bagged a spot on celebrity singing show It Takes Two, it seems there'll be more to come. So how does she feel knowing there's so much jealousy directed her way?

'I don't know whether it's jealousy,' she says. 'But there's the tall poppy syndrome.

'But all I ever want to do is help promote surf-lifesaving and, in particular, ironwoman racing,' she insists.

Is she concerned people may think It Takes Two will affect her performance in the sport?

'All I can say is watch me do it!' she says. 'I've spoken to my coach and my family about it, and it's something I really want to do. They have a swimming pool, and places where I can run in Melbourne, so it won't be a problem.'

And with an attitude like that, we don't doubt that Candice has what it takes.

'I'm very motivated and very determined,' she says. 'Anything I feel like I can do, I'm going to go after it.'

For more entertainment news, check out the latest issue of New Idea - on sale now!

More photos of Candice

Check out the It Takes Two website