Backlash against "tone deaf" flood advice from Australia’s 50th richest woman
<p dir="ltr">Australia’s 50th richest woman, Sarina Russo, shared her advice to affected communities after parts of Brisbane struggle to recover from the horrific floods.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Dressed in leggings, a short sleeved shirt and dark glasses, the 70-year-old recruitment agency chief set the scene by announcing: “We’re here overlooking the most beautiful city called Brisbane and sadly last week we had massive floods – once-in-a-hundred year flooding, and it caused massive devastation.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“But you know, when things are going wrong and endorphins are low, this is the time you need to exercise.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I really believe that fitness is everything.”</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Her #fitspo comes after 13 people tragically passed away after months worth of rain smashed southeast Queensland last week.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“The desire to get fit every morning, regardless whether it’s raining, whether it’s sunny, whether it’s too hot, whether it’s too cold, icy, snowy, whatever the weather is, if it is to be, it’s up to me,” she continued.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Your attitude determines your altitude. See you at the top.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Believed to be worth a whopping $267 million, Russo was named as Australia’s 50th richest woman on Tuesday.</p>
<p dir="ltr">She explained the key to her success is staying fit, and that overweight people, or those who don’t exercise and drink too much are not “successful”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Responses on Russo's Instagram feed were varied.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Probably a good thing you have comments turned off on your 'just exercise' post," wrote one person. "You do realise most people affected by the floods have spent the last week literally wading through s**t, up and down stairs, moving the water logged entirety of their lives onto the footpath... Pretty sure they are exercising and I'm pretty sure it's not making them feel better about it all."</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Houses flooded, businesses destroyed. But yeh going for a run should knock it on the head," wrote another.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"She has been in the sun a bit too long," added a third.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em><span id="docs-internal-guid-44659756-7fff-c967-aec7-31d0bee19089"></span></p>