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AN AUSTRALIAN WOMAN who was severely disfigured in a bushfire and told she would never run again completed the world’s toughest ironman race over the weekend.
Turia Pitt swam for 3.8km, cycled for 180km and ran for 42km to finish the Hawaii Ironman in a time of 14:37:30.
The gruelling race is seen the toughest of its kind because of the heat and humidity the athletes have to deal with.
Pitt was left with horrific burns to 65% of her body after the bushfire roared through a 100km ultra-marathon event in Western Australia in 2011.
Since then, Pitt spent nearly two-and-half years in hospital and underwent numerous surgeries for her injuries. During that time she was told her running days were over.
“If I finish the race with a smile on my face I’ll say that’s a massive success for me,” she told Sydney’s Ten News before the race.
Finish the race she did, using special clothing to protect her from the harsh elements.
“One of the consequences of being burnt is that my body can’t regulate its temperature as well, so when I get hot I get really hot,” she explained.
Posting to her Facebook page after she completed the challenge, Pitt said that it had been far from easy:
Feeling really bloody proud. Not the perfect race, not everything went as planned. But I dug deep and gave it everything I had, and you can’t ask for more than that.
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