“I heard a noise, so I took off my headphones and raised my head. Then, I saw the fire. The huge wall of fire that was quickly advancing towards me. When the fire got to me, I remember looking down at my hands and seeing them on fire, I screamed in horror and thought: That’s it, it’s over.”
That’s how Turia Pitt describes the moment she realized that she’s on fire.
That she was literally burning.
It was September 2nd, 2011.
An ultra-marathon runner, she was smack down i the middle of competing in an untra-marathon (100 km) in the Australian outback.
It was an amazing track, one that was completely in nature.
But then a wildfire started spreading and burning through the dried grass.
The fire quickly caught with her and engulfed her body.
She laid in the field for four hours, waiting for rescue as the sun burned down and quite literally burned her exposed skin.
Turia Pitt: The Long Road To Recovery
When she was eventually found, quite literally no one expected her to survive.
In fact, she was pronounced dead 3 times, and was placed in a medically-induced coma for a month.
She suffered burns on 65% of her body, remained with only 3 fingers, and underwent over 200 operations and skin implants.
She had to re-learn how to walk, how to talk, and how to do other simple tasks like bend her elbow.
But she didn’t let that stop her.
Turia Pitt Before and After the Fire
“All of the sudden, in the hospital, everyone’s expectations of me changed,” she said. “At first, the staff told me happily: Don’t worry, you can still get married and have children. And I thought to myself, but hey, that’s what everyone does- and I’m not everyone.”
Pitt really is not like everyone.
Not only did she return to normal functioning, she even went back to running.
Since then, she’s led climbing expeditions to various places in the world like the Great Wall of China, sailed around the world, raised millions to donate to fire victims (including those who lost everything in the Australian bush fires in 2020), became a mentor, a speaker, a best-selling author, and a famous consultant – and also gave birth to two children.
Pitt, as well as another runner who was badly burned, Kate Sanderson, were awarded each $450,000 from the WA government as a compensation for their injuries. Pitt also settled with race organizers themselves for an undisclosed amount.
In 2022, Pitt appeared in Australia’s Celebrity Apprentice. She didn’t make it to the final, but was able to raise $230,000 for her chosen charity Interplast. The charity raises funds to provide children in the Asia-Pacific area with needed access to medical care.
Turia Pitt is an Australian former ultra-marathon runner who got burned while competing in an ultra-marathon while running, on September 2nd, 2011.
A wildfire that spread quickly through the running course completely engulfed her body, and Pitt was burned.
More then 65% of her body was burned, she remained with only 3 fingers, and underwent over 200 operations and skin implants.
Despite being proclaimed 3 times – she survived and even went back to running.
Pitt and her husbnad, Michael Hoskin, on a trip before she got burnt. Photograph: SUPPLIED/PR IMAGE
Turia Pitt: How long was she in the hospital for?
Due to the severity of her burns, Pitt was put in a medical coma for a month and lost all her fingers but three.
She spent six-months in the hospital and had to undergo more than 200 surgeries in a two-year span.
Turia Pitt is Hard Work: Her Podcast “Hard Work”
In 2022, Turia Pitt started her own podcast Turia Pitt is Hard Work, where she interviews people about “stories of resilience that inspire you to take on life’s biggest challenges.”
Turia Pitt is a hero because she has overcome great obstacles in her life.
She was severely burned in a bushfire while running an ultra-marathon and spent 6 months in hospital recovering.
During her recovery, she was determined to stay positive and motivated. She even set herself the goal of running a marathon again – and she achieved it!
Turia is an inspiration to us all because she shows that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. No matter what life throws at you, you can overcome it if you have the right attitude. Turia proves that no obstacle is too big to overcome.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
