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Susie Maroney: Looking for love at 40

Susie Maroney opens up about her painful past and her new positive outlook in this week's New Idea, on sale now! Photo: New Idea

Running along the shore in a bright red swimsuit, blonde hair streaming behind her, Susie Maroney looks like a Baywatch star.

Trim, toned and tanned, it’s hard to believe the former marathon swim champion has survived a sea of sorrows to celebrate her 40th birthday.

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Her life has seen crests and troughs to rival the roughest surf – the tragic death of twin brother Sean, the loss of two unborn babies and two marriage splits, both while she was pregnant.

But Susie, who broke the speed record across the English Channel in 1991 and completed a 38-hour swim from Mexico to Cuba in 1998, is nothing if not gutsy. Today, she looks forward to the future with her kids Paris, six, Capri, four, and River, two.

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"I feel I have got my power back," smiles Susie, who has just become an advocate for White Ribbon Australia, campaigning to stop violence against women.

"Turning 40, I think you look at the past and discover what really matters and what doesn’t. Age does that to you!"

To read Susie's exclusive interview and to see more inspiring photos, pick up this week's New Idea, on sale now!

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