Fresh Start As Tsunami Widow Finds Romance

The Sunday Age

Sunday April 16, 2006

SAMANTHA LANE

TRISHA Broadbridge, widow of tsunami victim Troy Broadbridge, has started a new romance with Channel 10 Sports Tonight presenter Ryan Phelan.

Ms Broadbridge, 24, last night confirmed the relationship to The Sunday Age saying: "There's no point in denying it. Yes, we're more than friends.

"It's very, very early. But hopefully, now that we've been upfront about it, we'll be allowed to have the space like any other people entering a new relationship to just let it develop naturally.

"We want to be honest about it, but I want people to respect that it's sensitive and I just hope that people would be happy that I'm happy."

Speaking from Sydney, where she is spending time with Mr Phelan, 30, a divorced father-of-two, she said the past 15 months of her life had been "horrific".

"Any sort of happiness that has come my way I've grabbed on to," she said. "It's still early days and I don't want this to turn into a gossipy thing."

Asked if she was worried that people would judge her, she replied: "I'm trying not to think about it."

Mr Phelan confirmed the relationship to The Sunday Age last night. He was earlier quoted as saying: "We are seeing each other . . . Trisha is an inspirational person - a genuine, beautiful person. I'm very lucky."

The couple accompanied each other to the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne two weeks ago.

Ms Broadbridge arrived in Sydney yesterday from her home in Perth on a two-week visit with Mr Phelan, a Cleo magazine Bachelor of the Year in 2005.

Melbourne player Troy Broadbridge, 24, lost his life in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.

Ms Broadbridge became a household name when Troy was swept away by the tsunami on Phi Phi Island, Thailand, where the couple were spending their honeymoon. They had been married for just a week.

Ms Broadbridge frantically searched local hospitals for her husband's body until she was taken to a Bangkok hospital herself. He was eventually found by his father on January 3, eight days after the tsunami.

While struggling with her own grief, Ms Broadbridge became an inspiration to others by stoically vowing to make something positive come from her husband's death.

Just months after the tsunami she started the Broadbridge Fund to raise money for the Thai villagers left behind in the devastating aftermath of the tsunami.

with JILL STARK