She is the woman behind one of Australia’s most famous sportsmen, Mick Fanning. 

But when the news surfaced this week that the world champion surfer's marriage had crumbled, many were left wondering: just who is Karissa Fanning, nee Dalton, the former swimsuit model turned entrepreneur who was married to the millionaire sportsman for eight years? 

Karissa Dalton, 31, was born and grew up five hours north of Brisbane. A Bond University film production graduate, she first met Mick through mutual friends in 2004, when she was just 19. 

Sweetheart start:Sunday 31 January Mick Fanning posted on his Facebook page that he has split from his wife

Young love: He wooed Karissa with a roast dinner and proposed to the then student model on Kirra Hill in 2006

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As their film-script-worthy story has it, he met her a couple of times before trying to tie her down, wooing her with a roast dinner and proposing on Kirra Hill in October 2006 – a place which had family significance for the Fannings, since it was where Mick’s brother, Sean and surfer Joel Green, were killed in a car crash in 1998.

Lots of the wives and girlfriends go on tour…that wasn’t right for me... We do our own thing and we’re both passionate about that.

The famous surfer, now 34, presented the then model with a square diamond solitaire ring set in white gold, before they were married in 2008 at a lavish ceremony in one of the most exclusive locations on the Gold Coast, The Villa, in the luxurious Nerang estate.

Prior to the wedding, Dalton had enjoyed reasonable success as a model. When she was just 21 and still a film production student, she was a finalist in the 2007 Inside Sport Model Search, appearing in the Australian Swimsuit Calendar that year as Ms May, wearing an emerald green bikini.

However, after the wedding, inspired by her nuptials, the talented brunette turned her hand to design, launching the beautiful and highly successful digital wedding, event and lifestyle publication,The Lane, in June of 2010. She remains its CEO to this day.

Swimsuit style: Karissa had previously been a model, appearing in the Australian Swimsuit Calendar in 2007

Lavish wedding: The pair married in 2008, at a lavish wedding at The Villa on the Gold Coast 

Best friends: The pair remained the best of friends, and Karissa set up a bridal business in 2010, The Lane

With an office based on Queensland’s Gold Coast, The Lane was set up to provide a new perspective to the wedding industry – and it now serves thousands of people, working as a high-end, online bridal style guide that specialises in wedding décor inspiration.

Though fiercely private, when she gave an interview to the Sunday Style in 2014, Karissa showed how ambitious she is when it comes to her formidable and well-established career.

‘Lots of the wives and girlfriends go on tour…that wasn’t right for me. I’m expanding my business overseas, so we do our own thing and we’re both passionate about that. 

'It’s nice that, when we do have a break together, we can have that outside of surfing.’

Always on duty: The entrepreneur started to split her time between New York and the Gold Coast

Rumours surface: And despite still seeming tight, rumours surfaced that their wedding was in trouble in 2015

However, as her profile as a designer grew and grew, and Mick remained busy with his own career, rumours began to circulate that their marriage was on the rocks, especially after Mick’s near miss with a shark in South Africa in July 2015.

Shortly afterwards, New Idea reported that friends of the couple claimed that they had parted ways, while Karissa later told The Collective Magazine in December 2015 that she ‘would love to find a beautiful loft space’ to work at in Brooklyn, New York.

The designer also revealed that she planned to spend the majority of this year in New York, where she has rented a flat that she can return to every three weeks for business. However, both her, Mick, Mick’s mother and his management denied that the pair had separated, and the couple showed a united front at the tragic funeral of Mick’s older brother, Peter, at the end of last year.

Adamant denial: Mick and Karissa denied their marriage was in trouble when confronted with the rumours

Confirmed split: However, last Sunday night Mick posted on his Facebook page, confirming the couple's split

While it has now been confirmed that Mick and Karissa have split, Fanning took to his Facebook page on Sunday night to deny reports that they have been separated properly since last year, saying they were ‘committed to working things out since…last February’.

‘I have nothing but love and respect for this woman,’ he wrote.

‘Karissa has stood by me since we first met in 2004. We have shared plenty of great times but more importantly she has helped me through some of the toughest moments in my life, especially this past year… After giving it our all, late last year we made the tough mutual decision to move on separately.

Passionate words: He wrote that they have been trying to work things out and that there is still a 'lot of love'

Frank on Facebook: Mick's message to his Facebook fans about the split in full

Sweetheart start: The Australian surfer has posted on his Facebook page that he has split from his wife

‘It feels weird to put our personal life out there like this but we want to eliminate any speculation about this decision,’ he continued.

‘We’re still close and there’s a lot of love there.’

From his childhood sweetheart to model, successful entrepreneur and totally supportive wife, Karissa had said previously in 2014 that ‘we talk about having a family and are trying to work out when. I’m sure we could make it work, but I don’t know where we’d fit a child in at the moment. One day!’.

Sadly for the couple this may not be the case.

The Daily Mail Australia has attempted to make contact with Karissa.

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