Motorsports presenter Riana Crehan has become the dark horse of SAS Australia, progressing beyond even champion athletes like Barry Hall and Wayne Carey.
Despite being a lesser-known celebrity going into the show, the Queensland-based sports journalist has seriously impressed the Directing Staff with her quiet determination.
Not only that, she and four other female recruits made history this season, with women outnumbering men at the halfway point for the first time ever.
Now, as the show enters its final weeks, it looks as though Riana might complete the course and pass selection, something only four celebrities have done on the Australian version of the series so far.
Her name is popping up among those most likely to win, alongside NRL players Millie Boyle and Darius Boyd, and fans are cheering her on across social media.
But who is Riana when she’s not taking Australia by storm on the gruelling SAS course?
Not only is Riana very dedicated to her career as a Supercars Presenter, she’s also committed to her fitness and strength.
She completed her third Ironman triathlon in 2019, and also completed a major swim from Perth to Rottnest Island, a total of 21km.
The swim, which she did with her brother, was completed to raise funds for victims of flooding in Townsville, Queensland.
Answering a Q&A with Treball Active, she called the swim one of her biggest achievements at the time.
Riana features a heap of snaps on her social media of her very active life, showing herself running, cycling, swimming and doing lots of yoga.
Her husband, Will Davison, is often along for the ride. Riana fell in love with Supercars driver Will years prior to their engagement.
While it’s not too certain when they began dating, Riana has posted photos of them from as early as 2006.
“Just a couple of kids still having fun,” she captioned a picture of herself and Will in January, 2020.
Riana couldn’t help falling in love with Supercars driver Will Davidson.
(Image: Instagram)While he was decked out in racing gear, she wore a sash reading ‘Miss V8 Supercar 2006’.
The pair tied the knot on January 17, 2020, at the time squeezing it in during their off-season.
However, they also managed to squeeze it in before COVID caused a delay on most weddings throughout the same year.
“We like to do things at speed, but this took a little time,” Will joked to Speedcafe.com.
“Things came together and it was time to do it. We had a terrific time over three days,” he continued.
WATCH: How to keep fit in lockdown. Story continues after video.
“We are just enjoying a few days up north before we come home and prepare for the start of the season, and we are hoping to fire off to Europe for a couple of weeks later in the year,” he said.
Unfortunately, COVID would hit, meaning the pair are still yet to make it overseas for their prolonged honeymoon.
Despite her familial happiness early in the year, 2020 would eventually bring more sadness for Riana; she lost her father, Paul Crehan, the following July.
She posted a carousel of images to her Instagram, writing “my heart is shattered and the pain I am feeling is something I didn’t know existed.”
“You taught me about boating, fishing, how to drive tractors, the best way to eat mussels, how to listen to AC/DC as loud as possible, to always stand my ground but to always be polite,” Riana shared.
Riana and her husband tied the knot on January 17, 2020.
(Image: Instagram)“You were the most generous person I have ever met, and I will miss your cheeky smiling face everyday.”
The loss saw Riana head home to Perth to be with her family, but she would soon return to her job with Supercars, that has her travelling the country alongside Will.
“Life changes so quickly and I have never been less in control of what’s happening,” she shared in August 2020, when she was gearing up to return to work.
“I look forward to seeing my Supercars family but leaving has never been so difficult. 2020 you are testing me hard but I am learning how strong we can be when we don’t have a choice,” she shared.
Riana faced further difficulties over the following months, given the strong border closures held in place by Western Australia’s state government, which prevented her from easily travelling to and from her hometown of Perth.
WATCH: Peek inside the brutal challenges of SAS Australia 2022. Story continues after video.
When their border closure was continued further than anticipated into 2022, Riana took to Instagram, sharing a photo of herself, her siblings and her mother at her father’s memorial.
“We just want to see our loved ones. We have missed Birthdays, Weddings, Births, Deaths and time,” she wrote.
“We have missed precious time. Time we will never get back. We have done what you asked. My question is what have you been doing?” she asked of the government.
Riana has since shared that she expects to be back in Perth soon, now that the borders are open, and that Supercars will be heading there in April.
Meanwhile, we’re watching her journey unfold on television.
We’ve seen Riana leap from a boat onto a helicopter, crawl through mud, complete tasks after being pepper-sprayed, win combat challenges, and abseil down a cliff – and we can’t wait to see what comes next!
This article first appeared on our sister site, WHO.
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