If there was a ‘Face of Canungra’ competition, Candice Mahony would be one of the front runners. Having lived, worked and volunteered here since she was ten years old, she is one of our favourite Humans.
CANDICE Wright, as she was then, moved to Canungra with her parents and three sisters (Chantelle, Lana and Shana) from Gaven and says the move was unremarkable.
She attended Canungra State School in Grade Six and Seven.
The friends she made in those years were the friends she kept through high school and beyond.
One of the first people she met at school was Luke Cecil, and she laughs about Luke running up to her in the school ground saying he was her uncle.
“It was strange coming into this town of people who already kind of know who you are,” she says.
“Luke’s a year or two younger than me. He came running up saying ‘Uncle Luke’s here!’ It was nice, you knew someone instantly on that first day!”
“Mum was from here and we came out every now and then when we were kids to see Granddad (Bob Cecil), so we kind of knew the area.”
She spent her high school years catching the bus to Tamborine Mountain State High School before driving up when she got her license in her senior year.
A keen sportsperson, Candice started played soccer after meeting the Teveluwe family who were heavily involved in the Canungra Owls Soccer Club.
She recently retired from the game but jokes she may go back to play masters in a few years.
Growing up in a small town, the level of trust and freedom associated with it was different to what she thinks would have happened if they had stayed on the Gold Coast.
“We were at Canungra Show and Shana and Meg Kraayvanger were having a hot dog and it got printed in the Canungra Times.”
“I said Mum, where was she? She was like six years old!”
“No matter what you did, everyone would find out because everyone told Mum and Dad.”
Candice had known her husband, Glen Mahony for several years before they started going out – he is her best friend’s brother.
“Katrina and I were best mates. I knew that he existed but he just started showing up to things. He was at my 21st.”
The progression of the relationship was so organic that Candice can’t pinpoint when it changed from a friendship to something more.
“He would come to work and have a chat, but it wasn’t until Danny Walton said ‘you know he’s hitting on you don’t you?’”
“Danny had to do a lot of the heavy lifting for Glen in the beginning,” she laughs.
Danny, who has known Glen since before they started school, was best man at Candice and Glen’s wedding in September last year.
