Professional adventurer turns full-time carer for her 'tough as nails' Greek aunt

As a child, Mandy Carney told her aunt she would come back from anywhere in the world to look after her in her old age. The 48-year-old watersport professional returned from Brazil last year to keep her promise.

Ms Carney lives with her 81-year-old aunt, Stella Karakitsos. Source: Mandy Carney

Highlights

• An Aussie expat in Brazil till last year, Ms Carney has been making a living from her passion for watersports, travel and empowering women.
• She says returning to Melbourne to look after her 81-year-old aunt, an early-stage dementia patient, was non-negotiable.
• Ms Carney credits her Greek migrant aunt’s ‘tough as nails’ personality for her own resilience.

For Mandy Carney, 2019 was marked by an important milestone. The avid watersports enthusiast prides herself in becoming the first Australian woman to kitesurf solo the Parnaiba Delta which spans over 2,700 square kilometres and is one of the largest river deltas in the Americas and the world.

The northeast coast of Brazil remained Ms Carney's base for over a decade.

“I moved to Brazil to pursue my dream, and conquer the Amazon kitesurfing,” she tells SBS Greek.

“I’m a sports adventurer. I’ve always been involved with sports. I’ve been a golfer for 30 years, and I love my watersports. Then one day, I tried kitesurfing and fell in love with it. That’s how I ended up in Brazil because it’s one of the windiest places on earth.”

Source: Mandy Carney

The kite safari she embarked eight years ago turned into an extended stay every six-month season since, using the remaining six months of the year travelling.

“For the last 15 years I’ve been pretty much all around the world through the home exchange,” she says.

Ms Carney says she documented her adventures on social media to promote female participation in sports, especially for the 40 plus age group.

“So basically, I made a living out of marketing, and through the home exchange, I got to travel to beautiful places...  living the dream and empowering women, particularly my age. I'm nearly 50, and I still enjoy watersports and any type of sports.”

Living a life shaped by her aunt

Recently, Ms Carney’s social posts have been featuring Greek cooking and snapshots of her newest adventure as a full-time carer for her 81-year old aunt, Stella Karakitsos.

Ms Carney moved back to Melbourne in November 2020 after her aunt started showing signs of dementia.

“Growing up in Melbourne, I lived in Flemington and theia (aunt) Stella lived around the corner. When I was little she was like a second mother to me, she’d come over and cook, and we’d go with my sister and have sleepovers; it was a beautiful upbringing," she recalls.

“And I had said to her, 'once you’re sick and all that I’m going to be there, wherever I am in the world I’ll get here to look after you'.”

The Carney twins (L during childhood) with aunt Stella Karakitsos. Mandy (R pictured with Ms Karakitsos) says she was 'like a second mother' to her. Source: Supplied

Having lost both her parents in recent years, it was a no brainer for Ms Carney that she would keep her promise when she first learnt her father’s sister was at the onset of the debilitating condition.

“She's the only surviving member of my family from my dad’s side. So, it's very special that I'm here and I'm here for her.”

The 48-year-old says her aunt has been a role model for her, who she has looked upon for her resilience and someone that helped her cultivate a flair for adventure from a young age.

“I give her a lot of credit for the life I’m living,” says Ms Carney.

Ms Carney has 'introduced' her aunt to Greek diaspora Facebook groups in Australia. Source: Facebook/Early Greek Australians

Ms Karakitsos was born and raised in Greece and migrated to Australia as an adult in the 1970s.

“She never had children because of a disability. She stepped on a landmine at Krithia [a village in Greece] when she was five years old and spent three years in a hospital on her back.”

Stella Karakitsos spent years in rehabilitation following an injury she sustained as a 5-year-old at a landmine in Greece. Source: Supplied

But, Ms Carney says, she can't recall aunt Stella ever complaining.  

“She worked her fingers to the bone; she was a seamstress for 30-40 years, a lady tough as nails. And I was with her pretty much every day[…], so I learned her ways."

Still an adventure with Greek aunt on board

Ms Carney says she is committed to being by her aunt's side for as long as needed. 

“I left my lifestyle to look after this lovely lady.”

While in early stages of dementia, she says her aunt is still “really sharp” though with a “bad short-term memory”.

“She’ll have an amazing conversation, but she’ll forget what she’s done a minute ago.

“She’ll offer you a ‘kafedaki’ [Greek coffee], but then she’ll make the coffee another five times. Or she’ll start boiling the milk and forge it on the stovetop. So, basically, I have to be her shadow, looking over everything she does.”

Stella Karakitsos worked as a seamstress for 40 years in Greece and Australia. Her niece says the 81-year-old is 'still going strong today. Source: Mandy Carney

Ms Carney says she uses sticky notes to help Ms Karakitsos remember things and films their daily activities for using the videos later to “refresh" her aunt's memory.

And it’s a win-win situation, with Ms Karakitsos helping Ms Carney improve her Greek and the two spending time together with activities that both enjoy: cooking traditional dishes, playing cards, going to the beach.

Importantly, Ms Carney hasn’t had to stop practising the sport she loves most.

“I bring her [to the beach] with me, while I have a little kite surf.

“My life hasn’t stopped pretty much. I’m just going to include her into everything.”