She’s a mining engineer, a humanitarian, a motivational speaker and a burns survivor.
She’s also recently completed a Ironman — putting in the kind of training many of us would consider impossible.
After suffering burns to 65% of her body in a grass fire, Turia Pitt’s become one of our most inspiring success stories of triumph over adversity.
Below, she tells us why she sets herself big goals, and how she achieves them — against all odds.
1. You recently competed in an Ironman – how did you go and why did you enter the race?
Yeah, it was the first Ironman I’ve done and no question one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’ve competed in ultramarathons and some pretty intense physical challenges before the fire, but this was next level.
When I was in hospital, the doctors told me that I’d never run again. It was like a lightbulb went off in my head. I remember thinking “I’ll show you! I’m going to do an Ironman one day”. I didn’t even really know what was involved, but I knew it was like this ultimate challenge. Mum and my partner Michael would come to the hospital each day and get me up out of bed and walking along the hospital hallways, saying “come on Turia, time for your Ironman training.”
Crossing that finish line almost 5 years later was just incredible, and something I’ll never forget. I’ve just been invited to compete at the World Championship Ironman in Kona, Hawaii in October which is insane, so no rest for the wicked!
2. After spending so much time in hospital and recovering, how have you found the time, the energy and the motivation to do the kind of serious training that needs to be done to compete in such a race?
To me, if I could finish an Ironman then it was proof that I was fitter than before the fire, so that was my big motivation. Even in the early days, I was determined that I wasn’t going to let what happened define the rest of my life. So I’ve been chipping away – starting with learning how to walk again, getting back on the bike and in the water. Now I’m fitter than I’ve ever been. So having a really strong reason is key for any goal. But having said that, you can’t really go on motivation alone and you have to remember that it’s all about consistency.
As far as finding the time, I think of it as the one resource that’s given to everyone on the planet equally and once you commit yourself to such a big goal you have to pull out all the stops to make it happen. I schedule all my training sessions into my diary – it’s like a meeting you have to go to, don’t give yourself the option of finding an excuse not to show up!
3. What kind of training did you need to do?
It was pretty intensive. I’d do up to 18 hours a week – a mix of run, bike and swim training plus sprint and hill work and other speed and endurance tests.
I was really lucky to work with the most amazing coaches – Bruce and Christina Thomas from Energy Link. They have absolutely changed the game for me.
If I was training on my own, I would never think to change up my program to do hill intervals. I wouldn’t consider speed and variation in my swim training. I’d probably just do a 40 minute run or I’d just slog out a straight 2.5km swim. Not only would that be boring (!) but it would only teach me to race long and slow.
That’s the thing about success – it’s always a team effort!
4. You’ve just walked the Kokoda Track. What was that like and why did you decide to make the trek?
Kokoda was absolutely amazing. Everyone said that after an Ironman it’d be a walk in the park, but it was really challenging. There were some days when we were all pretty rattled by how gruelling it was, and the heat was so intense! You feel so connected to our history there, walking in the footsteps of the Australian soldiers – it’s something that’s going to stay with me.
Each year I lead a fundraising trek for the not-for-profit Interplast Australia and New Zealand. It’s always been really important to me to give back, and I became involved as Interplast’s ambassador after I learned through my surgeon about the incredible volunteer surgical and medical training programs they run in developing countries. On this year’s trek, we raised over $400,000 which means they can run even more life-changing programs.
5. What’s an average day in the life like for you at the moment? From waking up, to exercise, getting some work done etc.? Where do you fit in the training?
I am a certified morning person, so I get up around 5 and get a couple of hours work done like responding to emails or working on my School of Champions.
Then I need to get moving – now that I’m training for Ironman again, I’m back to running or cycling a couple of hours, and then maybe a physio session if I’m home in Ulladulla. I’m often travelling for my motivational speaking work, so I might have an event or an interview, then it’s back to work for a catch-up with my team, or answering more emails and calls.
At the end of the day, I kick back with a cheeky glass of red and have dinner with Michael. I’m an avid reader, so I’m normally in bed by 7.30pm (I know, I’m a nanna) and I read for about an hour.
6. Tell us about your online goal-setting course? How has goal-setting helped you?
People kept asking me what it is that keeps me so driven and if I could share that with them. So I’ve spent the last 12 months working with the legends at Snap print design websites to develop my online goal getting course – Turia’s School of Champions.
It’s been a challenging process because this course unpacks the goal getting process that is so natural to me – it’s how I instinctively achieve success.
I’ve always been pretty big on setting goals for myself, whether that was through my recovery, or in my studies or more physical goals. I believe that life is all about continual improvement – allowing yourself to grow – so I always like to have something big I’m working towards.
The school really teaches people, step by step, how to not only set a goal (the right dream for the right reasons) but also how to embrace the grind, how to break through the excuses that hold us back, how to stick to it through all the tough days to make it happen.
Chasing down a goal is always so challenging, often frustrating, and definitely tumultuous! But ultimately, it’s so rewarding. I know that my School of Champion can really help people navigate the process more easily. I can’t wait to start!
7. You’ve mentioned that you were once terrified of public speaking, how have you gotten over that fear?
The truth is I do still get a bit nervous, but it doesn’t totally freak me out anymore. If I’m feeling the nerves, I try to remind myself of everything I’ve been able to achieve, and tell myself that I can do this too. It’s when we take that leap of faith that we can learn and grow – at the end of the day, that’s what’s important.
8. What’s next for you? How will you be building up your motivational speaking career?
I love working as a motivational speaker now – I get to have an impact on so many people, and I love it when people come and tell me what they’ve done because I’ve inspired them somehow. Like start a business, give up smoking or run a half marathon. I’m not gonna lie, that feels pretty good!
I’m so lucky that my motivational speaking work has taken me across the world, and hopefully I’ll have the opportunity to fit in some talks when I’m in the USA later this year for Kona. THAT would be pretty amazing – I just hope they’ll get my jokes!