Giaan Rooney
Olympic gold medallist Giaan Rooney joined Channel Seven in December 2012, and is the network’s Melbourne weekday weather presenter.
Giaan graduated from All Saints Anglican School on the Gold Coast in 1999. She commenced a Communications degree at Bond University but her primary focus was swimming, a pursuit in which she excelled, taking home a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the Women’s 4 x 100 metre Medley Relay.
Giaan says her advice to those starting out in the industry is simple. "Be open to constructive criticism, be closed to plain criticism."
Joining the Seven News team as weather presenter alongside veterans Peter Mitchell and Sandy Roberts, Giaan says what she most enjoys in a newsroom is the camaraderie, and everybody working together towards a common goal.
She admits the role is not without its challenges. "The difficult thing about the weather is that it is live TV, anything can go wrong and usually does! But what I do love about TV is the ability to tell stories, inform others and provide entertainment."
Giaan knows the importance weather has on Victorians, and says Melbourne’s varied weather means nothing can be left to chance. "Weather is so important in Victoria because conditions can change so rapidly. The old saying of 'four seasons in one day' was made for Melbourne and as I grew up in Queensland, I still find it confusing!"
For visitors arriving in Melbourne, Giaan says her top tips would be to hit up some great restaurants and cafes, take a tour of Chapel Street for some shopping, and a visit to the Melbourne Museum.
When she’s not working, Giaan enjoys heading out of Melbourne to her family farm in northern Victoria. "I head up to the farm, where we run 150 Angus cattle. There is nothing more grounding than being covered head to toe in cow poo!"
