Brooke Warne has revealed how she is coping four years on with the grief of losing her dad which she says will never go away.
The eldest daughter of late cricket great Shane Warne keeps wise words from both her parents close to mind which help her navigate each day.
Shane passed away suddenly in 2022 from a heart attack which made global headlines.
“Grief never goes away, you deal with grief for your whole life,’’ Brooke said.
“You learn how to live without a part of you. It’s such a weird thing, we like to say it comes in waves, when you’re going through it it’s like the waves of the ocean.
“My Dad had this little saying — keep your head in the stars and your feet on the ground. Being grounded is very important so it’s been tough but I’m lucky to have the people around me that I do, the support network is very important.
“Some days are a lot easier than others. You could tell me Dad could walk through my front door and I’d believe you. He’s still very much present. I don’t think I’ve accepted it yet at all but I’m trying to do what I do and make Dad proud and do something for myself that helps me grow as a person every day.”
Brooke, 28, recalls her mum Simone Callahan giving her and her siblings Jackson and Summer a piece of advice in the days that followed the tragic news.
“It was a couple of weeks after Dad passed and we didn’t know what to do with ourselves and I remember we were sitting at Mum’s house, that time was all a bit of a blur, but around that time she said to us we’ve got to try and find the joy in something every day,’’ Brooke said.
“So every day we try and find something that does bring us a little bit of joy, whether that’s having a laugh with my partner Alex (Heath), cooking something that makes me happy, going to the gym or going for a walk. I really think it’s the small things that help you every day when you’re struggling with the big things.”
Brooke has been working with Medibank in a number of ways to bring awareness to the Medibank family roast conversation cards which is an online resource for people over 16 to try and help facilitate those hard conversations with thoughtful prompts and discussion starters to break the ice. Brooke is very passionate about mental health.
“We have found it helps start those tough conversations in a less scary way,’’ Brooke said.
“Going through what I’ve gone through with Dad I really think talking about it is so important.
“My oldest friend Yasmin Ilhan lost her dad John in 2007 so having the Ilhan family really helped us.
“Everyone’s grief is different and I don’t think you ever get over grief, it sticks with you, it is so tough but when you have people to help guide you through it who have also been through it, it brings a little comfort.”
The added dimension for Brooke over the past four years has been managing it all in the public eye.
Warne was a much loved figure all over the world.
“We’ve grown up our whole lives in the spotlight, we are used to it,’’ she said.
“Dad worked so hard his whole life and went through so much scrutiny and we have always dealt with it and unfortunately after he passed, it got bad for a while with people camping out the front of our house at 6am not even 12 hours after he had passed. But we have dealt with that since we were little and this time it was even more infuriating.
“We are lucky enough to have an amazing Mum and Dad that always wanted the best for us. It is such a unique thing, to have someone come up to you and have so much love for Dad too and share their story, as that’s how you keep someone alive is to continue to talk about them.”
The cards can be accessed for free at familyroast.com.au