Yahoo Lifestyle 
SAS recruit Candice Warner's 'saving grace' amid 'tough' year
From participating in one of the most gruelling reality TV shows out there to juggling three kids under seven, for the most part on her own amid a global pandemic, Candice Warner has had a huge year.
This Christmas, the 35-year-old SAS Australia star only has one request from Santa and that’s to be reunited with her husband, Aussie cricketer David Warner.
“Having spent most of the year apart from David, the only thing on my wish list is to spend more time together as a family,” she tells Yahoo Lifestyle.
The COVID-19 border restrictions made it even harder for Candice, David and their girls, Ivy, six, Indi, four and 18-month-old Isla, to find pockets of family time between their various work commitments.
“Like many, being away from family members has been tough.
“Having David away for such a long time was hard not only for me but for our daughters too but it’s great to have him back home in time for Christmas.”
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Christmas with the Warners
Despite a chaotic 2020, a few of the Warner’s festive traditions will remain unchanged.
“Every Christmas we spend it in Melbourne in preparation for the Boxing Day cricket test,” the champion Ironwoman says.
“On Christmas Day we open our presents for Santa and then head straight to the MCG to join David and the Australia cricket team at practice and in the batting nets.
“After training has finished we have lunch with the rest of the team and their families. It’s always a beautiful day and one that the kids really look forward to.”
Sadly, due to social distancing measures, the girls’ annual Santa photo has been converted into a Zoom chat but Candice says they’re excited nonetheless.
The change in plans has raised some questions about how Mr Claus will manage to travel around the world, hopping down chimneys to deliver presents to all the good buys and girls — it’s hardly COVID-safe behaviour, right?
To solve Saint Nick’s problem, Candice and her elder daughters Ivy and Indi have delved into their LEGO collection to build a Frozen-themed ‘magical portal’.
“It has wings so that it can fly around the world to help Santa deliver presents to all the kids,” she explains.
The mum-of-three says her Ivy and Indi’s love of LEGO and other engaging toys was a bit of a lifesaver during lockdown.
“Being creative and letting their little imaginations run wild has been a saving grace this year, particularly when we’ve had to spend so much time at home,” she admits.
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