I live for endurance challenges, especially ultra-running. When I was a teenager, I was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa and Depression, and was involuntarily hospitalised due to the illness putting my life at risk. When I left hospital, I was determined to never return and to never put my loved ones through that pain again. I started to rebuild my mental, emotional and physical health, and used endurance training as a coping strategy. My weakness became my strength.

Over the years, I began to realise I needed a greater purpose for my training – something beyond myself. At the age of eighteen, I made a spur of the moment decision to trek the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea. This changed my life. On this journey, I discovered that I could push my limits significantly further than I had before – I was capable of much more than I thought. I was no longer afraid to try new things, or that I may fail, because failure no longer existed in my mind. Regardless of the outcome, I knew I would always learn something from each challenge, and grow from it.

Following Kokoda, I pursued other endurance challenges – first, mountaineering and then, ultra-running. I also have experience in bodybuilding, boxing, swimming and triathlon. I feel most at peace when I am pushing my body and mind and learning more about myself. I appreciate the struggle, as it reminds me of the privilege I have to be alive; it is in the midst of the challenge that I can truly appreciate all I have in this life.