Humanitarian, athlete, engineer, motivational speaker and author. Turia Pitt is living proof that, with the right mindset, anything is possible.
In 2011, Turia was caught in a grassfire while competing in an ultramarathon and suffered burns to 65 per cent of her body. But surviving her ordeal is the least of Turia’s achievements: she is now a bestselling author, two-time Ironman and all-round humanitarian. She’s inspired millions to live with more confidence, live without fear and reach their goals.
We spoke to Turia and were able to hear her awe-inspiring story first-hand. Here’s a few of the questions we asked her about how she finds inspiration and how you can do the same.
What inspires you to share your story with others?
‘After my story was shared in Australian and international media, my inbox was flooded with stories from people who said I’d inspired them to make some really cool and positive changes in their life. People told me they’d quit smoking, left abusive relationships, run their first 10km or marathons and live with more confidence.
‘I want to continue to inspire people to take positive action in their lives. I want to help people all over the world learn how to shape their mindset, grow their confidence and self-belief, get out of their comfort zone and achieve the things that truly matter to them.’
What is your definition of success?
‘Success for everyone comes down to the same broad stuff we all need. We crave great connections, we want to challenge ourselves and we want to feel confident and happy. And ultimately, we want to feel we’re achieving the goals we set for ourselves. If we can do all of those things, that paints a pretty good picture of success.’
What role does mindset play in achieving your goals?
‘I believe 100 per cent that with the right mindset we become unstoppable. When I talk about mindset, I’m really talking about your approach to life. It’s how we interpret events in our lives, it’s how we deal with setbacks, it influences our behaviour and it also determines how happy we are.
‘And the awesome thing about mindset? It’s not set in stone. You can shift your attitudes and beliefs any time you want. So, why have a mindset that keeps you stuck, when you can choose to create a mindset that fuels you forward?
‘Over the years, I’ve picked up hundreds of strategies for shifting your mindset, changing your perspective and building confidence and resilience. I’m genuinely stoked that I’m able to galvanise people to change their mindset through my weekly letters and social media, and I’m so grateful for the deeper coaching work I get to do with people in my online programs like School of Champions. I love it. I love hearing how people have transformed their lives by nailing their mindset. I think that’s so awesome.’
What would you say to someone who is holding back on whatever it is they want to do in life?
‘There’s five things that drive me towards my goals:
- You need a strong reason for why you’re doing what you’re doing. So, for example, in the midst of training for Ironman, my ‘why’ was super compelling: I wanted to prove I was fitter, faster and stronger than I was in the ultra-marathon where I was catastrophically injured.
- You need a plan. It’s one thing to set the alarm at 4am, but if you’re not sure what you’re actually doing, it’s kind of pointless. So, to use Ironman again as an example, when my alarm went off at 4am, I knew what my training session was going to be – say a two-hour bike ride – and I knew what the rest of my day would look like because I would write it out the day before.
- You need to be consistent. Consistency trumps motivation each and every time. So, chip away at your goals every single day.
- I forget about being the ‘best’ and focus on being ‘better’.
- I always start small.
‘Get these things sorted and suddenly you’re less inclined to hold yourself back and more likely to be taking positive steps to move forward!’
