I won Miss Universe and was on Dancing with Stars – now I do a job no one wants & spend 12 hours a day driving a truck
IN a far cry from her days of glitz and glamour, the former Miss Universe Ireland is now doing a job no one wants after moving to Australia.
Gráinne Gallanagh, 29, has swapped her glamorous dresses and tiara for a boiler suit and hard hat after finding work as a truck driver in western Australia.
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Gráinne now spends 12 hours a day driving a lorry to procure supplies and deliver goods to a construction mine in Western Australia.
The model, who competed on RTE's Dancing with the Stars in 2019, stays on the site, which is located in a dry area with no civilization for miles.
Gráinne works the grueling shifts for two weeks straight before taking a week off, which she spends in Perth.
The former nurse said her alarm goes off at 4am before she heads out to drive her truck in 40 degree heat.
She told The Times: “The job I'm doing now is so different to anything I've ever done before, but I'm really loving it.”
Gráinne revealed how she is one of the only women on the construction site and was initially worried that she might feel uncomfortable.
She said: “I was worried about how I'd be received, but everyone's been nice and has made me feel welcome.
“We have the craic on site. I've only been there since August but already I've been awarded employee of the month and employee of the year.”
Gráinne, who won Miss Universe Ireland in 2018, spends her days escorting trucks and fueling up machines on the construction mine.
She told Evoke: “The job I do I do is escorting trucks. So trucks will come into the site with deliveries and I'll bring them around the site and do all their paperwork.
“I drive the fuel truck as well, so I drive around and fuel up all the machines. It's a busy site, it's all go go go.
“I'll also be getting the boys stuff, they call me the site Uber, if they need something, they'll call me on the radio. But it's good, I really like it.”
Gráinne, from Donegal, had bought a one-way ticket to Australia earlier last year with her now fiancé Ryan Coleman.
The couple, who have been together for ten years, both work at the mine on the 'fly in fly out' (FIFO) schedule with two weeks on and one week off. On average, the average FIFO salary is $109,981 (£58,000) a year.
Gráinne said her father Paddy, a farmer, had thought she wouldn't 'last five minutes” at the mine but to his amazement, she was awarded “employee of the year”.
The 29-year-old grew up on a farm in Buncrana, a town in Co. Donegal, and had spent her childhood playing with her five sisters at the local beach.
She later studied nursing at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology but she decided to take a plunge and enter the Miss Donegal beauty pageant at the age of 19.
“I didn't know what I was doing and I didn't even want my family to come to the final,” she added. “But to my amazement I won!”
Five years later, after qualifying as a nurse, Gráinne decided to enter Miss Universe Ireland in 2018.
“I just thought, you know what, I'll give it a go. If I don't enter, I might regret it later.” And she would have, for the model was crowned the winner in an emotional awards ceremony.
“My life became a whirlwind after that. I was doing lots of photoshoots and traveling to GermanyNew York, Chicago and Florida and I loved every minute of it.”
But at the same time, she was working as a nurse in the emergency assessment unit of King's College Hospital in London.
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“I found it difficult to reconcile the two completely different roles. In the end, I was permitted to work backshifts, which meant I could work when I wanted to, and that allowed me to travel.”
Gráinne went on to compete in the Miss Universe competition where she made the top 20 and later did Miami Swim Week – an experience she found “surreal”.
She said: “I'd walk into a room and there would be all these super-glamorous models.
“For such a long time afterwards, I'd look at the photos and think, I still can't believe I did that.”
A year after winning Miss Universe Ireland, Gráinne competed on RTE's Dancing on the Stars and was paired with professional dancer Kai Widdringham.
“I didn't enjoy the dancing even though I had a fantastic dance partner, Kai Widdrington, who made me look like I could dance.”
During her soaring fame, she said she struggled with her confidence and whenever she was modeling or presenting, she would have to “put on an act” to hide her nerves.
And she's had to deal with trolls who have criticized her appearance and accent.
“For the most part, I make fun of it and fun of myself too. I don't take it to heart because people don't know me,” she said. “Ultimately, it says more about them than it does about me.”
Gráinne said the reason she enjoys her current job working on the mine is because she doesn't feel nervous, and the fact that her fiancé Ryan works there helps.
The couple are now planning their wedding, which Gráinne hopes will be in Ireland. But in the meantime, she plans to stay in Australia.
“I miss my family and my friends, but other than that, there's no rush to get home,” she added.
And despite saying that she often shakes during her public appearances, Gráinne said she hasn't given up on her dream to do a stint at TV presenting.
“It has crossed my mind to try it in Australia, but I'm not sure if my accent would work over here,” she said.
“But who knows? My CV is so eclectic that I just never know what I'll be doing next.”
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