Meet the LEGO MASTERS Australia Season 2 contestants: Annie and Runa

Brick Fanatics is speaking to the LEGO MASTERS Australia Season 2 contestants to find out more about them and their passion for the hobby. While Annie has been a LEGO fan since she was a teenager, Runa is newer to the brick

LEGO MASTERS Australia is about to return with Season 2, with eight teams ready to compete to see who will be crowned brick-building champions and win the $100,000 prize. Each episode will see the LEGO builders taking on new challenges to show off their creativity.

In this exclusive interview, Brick Fanatics finds out more about Annie and Runa.

What is your LEGO background?

Annie: I found LEGO as rehabilitation after my brain infection. It was a simple and colourful way for me to regain skills like reading and writing, and also brought me joy through very hard times. I was having up to 50 seizures an hour at the peak of my illness so LEGO was something to truly look forward to when I was able to sit up. After falling in love with LEGO as a teen, and recovering from the severity of my illness, I found my way into the AFOL community and began volunteering at Australia’s premier LEGO fan convention, Brickvention. That was 10 years ago now – now I visit Brickvention and celebrate Lego annually with the AFOLs of Australia. 

Runa: I didn’t have a dark age as I actually only got into LEGO a few years ago. My first set was the little Rey’s Speeder set which I bought in 2016. By the end of 2016 I had planned and built my first big LEGO MOC which was a model of my favourite video game character – Spyro the Dragon.

What are your favourite types of models to build? Where do you do your building?

Runa: I enjoy the challenge of trying to recreate something using LEGO bricks, for example video game characters or animals. I don’t have a lot of room for building so I generally just start building sitting on the floor and store my builds in boxes when I’m not working on them.

Annie: I personally love minifig habitats and intricate streetscapes. I have a little shop, so often the whole floor is taken over by beautiful bricks. My kids love to get involved too.

Do you collect LEGO sets and/or bricks?

Runa: I have a small collection of sets and individual bricks. I generally just buy what I need for a planned build, so I don’t have much of a collection.

Annie: I sure do. I love my Harry Potter and City sets, and loose bricks from LUGbulk for all my building dreams. 

Do you have any other creative hobbies? 

Runa: I spend a lot of my time staring at a computer screen writing and analysing data so I enjoy the chance to do lots of creative hobbies when I get some free time. Some of the other hobbies I have just gotten into include crafts, oil painting and also digital painting.

Annie: Creatively, I work within symbology and tea is a big part of my life too. My passion and hobbies within tea became my business – teawithannie.com – where I read tea for people and create beautiful stories from their imagery. I also paint and sculpt – when I’m not raising my tiny humans.

Were you confident going into the LEGO MASTERS auditions?

Annie: Not quite. There are some amazingly talented builders on this planet. I know from watching them fill Brickvention each year. But I knew that teamed with Runa we could give it our best shot. She is a stunning creative. 

Runa: I had no idea what to expect going into the auditions. I was pretty excited but wasn’t sure if we’d make it on to the show.

How did you prepare for the show?

Runa: I didn’t have much time to practice or learn new techniques before the show but I did take some time to sit down and watch a few episodes of Season 1 just before we began.

Annie: Runa and I did some planning and practice, meeting up and sharing ideas online.  I got stuck into my brick bag with my kids too to get in the groove. 

What was it like stepping into the build room for the first time?

Annie: It was magical stepping into that brick pit. I think my mind went blank and I forgot where I was. The possibilities in that pit are endless. 

Runa: The whole atmosphere was incredible! It was as just amazing to be there and realise that I was alongside some of Australia’s best builders and it was all real.

The first episode of LEGO MASTERS Season 2 will air on Nine in Australia on Sunday, April 19 at 7.00pm.

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More LEGO MASTERS Australia Season 2 coverage
Interview with host Hamish Blake
Interview with judge Ryan McNaught

Episode reviews
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4

Exit interviews
Episode 3
Episode 4

Meet the contestants
Summer and Iona
Jackson and Alex
Trent and Josh
Jay and Stani
Jennifer and Jodie
Tim and Danii
Andrew and Damian
Annie and Runa