A dramatic skating accident involving Giaan Rooney has threatened to bring her Christian work to an abrupt halt, but the Anglican Board of Mission says when it comes to her support for its 2006 Water Appeal, the show will go on.
A much-publicised accident during training for Channel Nine's Dancing On Ice left Giaan with her leg broken in two places and facing six to eight weeks in a cast.
But while her place on the reality TV show is over almost before it began, all reports are that her enthusiasm for the ABM campaign is far from dampened.
Steven Daughtry from ABM said Giaan is due to speak at the campaign's Brisbane launch, to be held at the home of Brisbane Archbishop Philip Aspinall on September 22. The scheduling means she should be ready for the event. "At this stage, that's okay. Fingers crossed," Mr Daughtry says.
The campaign aims to raise money to install clean water systems in remote and poverty-stricken communities in the Philippines.
Giaan spent a week in the Philippines " the focal point of the Water Campaign " earlier this year with Mr Daughtry, seeing for herself the massive need for clean water to reach isolated and impoverished villages. After returning home, she became badly sick with the flu and was forced to miss the campaign's Sydney launch on June 16, where she was to deliver an address.
Mr Daughtry said missing the occasion meant Giaan was more determined to speak in Brisbane. "It was great to get her on board, but she hasn't really had a chance to speak about her time in the Philippines," he says. "The launch in Sydney was going to be her first opportunity to tell people what she's done, so I hope she's okay for [the Brisbane launch].
"She had an amazing time in the Philippines, and she wants to share that."
Before leaving for the Philippines, Giaan spoke about the deep impact Christianity had on her as she grew up, especially recalling the Christian example of her grandfather. Her desire to be involved with ABM seems to flow from that positive childhood experience.
"The fact that the church uses its spiritual and organisational power for the purpose of bettering the lives of poor communities " to enliven their existence " delights me," Giaan said. "For me, this is religion doing what it's supposed to do."
Mr Daughtry says Giaan was "deeply impressed' by the willingness of Filipino Anglican churches to get involved in people's lives, as well as by how cost-effective it was to provide clean water to people. "She kept going on about how cheap it was," he says.
Despite her current disappointment, Mr Daughtry says Giaan has a keen awareness of her own privileged position in life. "She leapt at the opportunity to do this for us. There was nothing in it for her " apart from a fairly difficult and uncomfortable week travelling in the Philippines.
"It would be great if Christians could pray for her recovery. But I think she would say she's receiving the very best medical care, and our prayers are better directed towards people in much more difficult situations."
