Turia Pitt and her hero
The inspirational Ironwoman pays homage to the person she admires most
Opening up about her childhood, it suddenly becomes clear where Turia Pitt gets her grit, strength and determination.
Describing her mum Celestine Vaite as the ‘ultimate optimist’, Turia says she can ‘put a positive spin on absolutely anything’.
‘Growing up, there was a time when money was pretty tight,’ Turia writes on her blog.
‘When our house got foreclosed by the bank, she said to all four of us kids: “That house was too big for us anyway!”
‘Mum showed me over and over again that while we don’t always have a choice in what happens in our lives, we do have a choice in how we react to those things.’
Celestine, a talented writer originally from Tahiti, has always been an inspiration to Turia.
When her first book was rejected by Australian publishers, Celestine refused to be deterred and put pen to paper again.
‘Mum started writing a second book. Her little office was next to my room and every night I’d fall asleep to the sound of her tapping away at the keyboard.’
Celestine’s tenacity paid off – her second book was published in 20 different countries!
‘She had four kids (two of them in primary school) and a full-time job when she wrote those books. She had every reason in the world to give up after her first book was rejected, but she stuck at it,’ Turia, 29, explains.
‘It’s a powerful lesson, and one I’m so grateful that she taught me: hard work and dedication will always get results.’
That sentiment resonated with Turia more than ever during her recovery from the 2011 Kimberley ultramarathon bushfire, which left her with 65 per cent burns.
Languishing in hospital – before she could barely even walk – Turia set herself a huge goal.
‘When I told Mum and [fiance] Michael that I wanted to do an Ironman, they didn’t laugh or tell me it was impossible (even though I could barely climb a single stair). They said OK, and we got to work,’ she writes.
Incredibly, not only did Turia fulfil that dream, she even went on to complete the gruelling Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.
‘My mum showed me that it is possible to achieve extraordinary things if you never, ever give up,’ she posted to Facebook.
‘Thank you Mum, you are a powerful, vivacious woman,’ Turia – now in demand as a public speaker and motivational coach – writes on her blog. ‘I’m so proud to have you in my life.’
• Unmasked by Turia Pitt and Bryce Corbett (Penguin Random House Australia, $34.99) is out now.