To navigate her fitness journey, Kirsty has enlisted the support of an exceptional online coach (@run_coaching on Instagram), Matt, who has crafted a program tailored to her lifestyle. This program incorporates elements such as strength training, stretching, and rest days, all to complement her running. Despite the challenges of being a full-time working mother and a university student pursuing her Master’s degree, Kirsty acknowledges that her plan doesn’t always unfold as expected. However, she firmly believes that by consistently prioritizing strength and stretching, she can at least make it to the starting line and ultimately cross the finish line, no matter the hurdles.

Kirsty finds her children to be a driving force, motivating her to continuously push her boundaries and demonstrate that any goal is attainable with determination, regardless of how unconventional it may seem to others. She also draws inspiration from skeptics who doubt her capabilities, viewing their skepticism as additional fuel to dream even bigger and set increasingly ambitious. 

When asked about who supports and motivates her Debbie says, “I am supported by my family and good friends but at the end of the day, it’s just me and I do these crazy adventures to see what I am capable of achieving.”

“I am motivated by many people around me, those who run, cycle and those who can’t. We have one life, and you need to do whatever you can in the time we have to enjoy it.”

Reflecting on her fitness journey, Debbie’s most significant achievement thus far has been completing a 100-miler race a few years ago.

She explains that she dedicated this race for Matt, her brother-in-law who sadly passed away 3 weeks prior. “I was so determined and was not going to quit; it was all for Matt.”

Debbie also completed the Scenic Rim event back in August, she achieved 105km. She describes it as ” Amazing, Muddy and Wet”. Despite the obstacles in her way, never giving up was the key!

In October 2016, Vicky began her fitness journey as a way to take some time for herself after having three kids and joined a six-week challenge at her local gym that included a 300m run time test, which sparked her running journey and she still takes on challenges at the gym to stay motivated. Vicky says, ”Finding the right environment that suits you, your family, your schedule, makes all the difference to keep it up & continue the journey. Still to this day, l do like to take on challenges at my gym, just to keep me on track.”

Vicky’s biggest goal is to keep doing what she loves with inspiring friends and continue challenging herself to be the best version of herself, which includes maintaining her fitness and health through running, a challenging pursuit that she hopes will enable her to achieve many other goals in the future, such as potentially participating in the Melbourne Marathon this year.

Vicky credits her running success to the incredible support and encouragement she receives from her running community, the Keilor Running Club. This club’s inclusive environment is what makes it so special to her, as it motivates and inspires every member regardless of their skill level or pace. She feels incredibly grateful to have found her tribe, as they constantly push her to be a better version of herself.

Vicky’s family is also a major support system for her, as they help her juggle her busy schedule and participate in various sports and activities. She emphasizes the importance of self-love and taking care of oneself not only for oneself but also for those they love. Her husband is also an active and fitness-oriented individual, and together they are able to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle that benefits the entire family.

Her biggest weakness when it comes to running is the “runner’s gut,” which is a constant battle for her. As someone who runs approximately four times a week, it can be challenging to eat the right foods since the next day is a run day. However, she finds comfort in discussing it with close friends who are also runners and realizing that she is not alone in this struggle. To ensure that she can manage this issue, she always makes sure to run in areas where there are nearby toilets, and when registering for runs, she plans ahead and checks the map for the location of restrooms.

Todd’s biggest fitness achievement was completing the virtual Ultra Marathon race put on by Run with the world in 2020. Running alone on the local streets around his area was mentally tough, but knowing his family was waiting for him at the finish line kept him motivated to keep going. He finished the race in 5 hours and 36 minutes.

Todd has set some ambitious running goals for himself in 2023. He hopes to run a personal best at the Gold Coast Marathon, with his current PB standing at 3:25:21. He also aims to run a total of 3500km for the year, and although he has fallen behind his planned schedule, he is determined to catch up and achieve this goal by the end of the year.

Todd’s biggest source of motivation and support is his family. He wants to prove to his kids that age is just a number, and with determination and hard work, anything is achievable, even running personal bests at the age of 48. Todd also finds inspiration and motivation in watching the last hour of a marathon or Ironman event. He believes that the last few people to cross the finish line are the real heroes and champions of the race.

Despite being a seasoned runner, Todd admits that his biggest weakness is swimming and his lack of confidence in the water. Nevertheless, he
has set his sights on completing an Ironman someday, knowing that he has a lot of work to do on his swimming to get there.

Currently, Sarah is eagerly preparing for the upcoming Gold Coast marathon in July, which will mark her fourth marathon to date. What makes this marathon particularly special is that it will be her first after becoming a mother. Sarah understands the challenges that come with balancing her responsibilities as a parent with her rigorous training regimen.

When asked about who supports and motivates her Sarah says, “My family and coach are my biggest pillars of support and inspiration. Their unwavering belief in me allows me to pursue my training with immense gratitude. I am genuinely thankful for them all.”

Rhys accomplished a remarkable fitness feat by completing the Blackall 100, a 100km ultra trail race, in 2021. Despite only commencing his running journey two years prior and having one half marathon road race under is belt, Rhys undertook this challenge. Notably, he had never previously participated in a trail event and his longest training run had been 37.5km. Regrettably, Rhys encountered significant sciatic pain upon reaching the 64km checkpoint. Nevertheless, he found satisfaction in having achieved this considerable distance and was prepared to withdraw from the race at that point. Rhys credits his wife, Colleen, for inspiring him to persevere, and after an additional 7 hours of determination and grit, he ultimately triumphed and celebrated with his son Hendrix at the finish line. This unforgettable experience ignited Rhys’s passion for ultra trail running and demonstrated the remarkable capabilities of the human body.

Rhy’s fisiocrem GC30 training routine typically includes running on the roads for 4 days and running on the trails for 2 days per week. Rhys incorporate an interval session each week to elevate his heart rate and dedicates the rest of the training to maintaining a low heart rate. Additionally, Rhy enjoys a daily 20-minute pilates session focusing on either legs or core. He also regularly uses a foam roller to help prevent injuries. He says, “I am extremely motivated and ensure I dedicate 6 days a week to training. Another major goal is that I want to continue to influence as many people as possible to take up running and experience the runners high.”

When asked about who supports and motivates him Rhys says, “My family and of course my sponsors provide me with the motivation and support to make my goals become reality.”

Mark’s most significant fitness achievement has been training for his first marathon in 2020 and completing his first ultra-marathon just four weeks later. It may sound crazy, but he finds it incredible what our bodies can accomplish. “I’m grateful for my coach, who helped me realise my limits and what goals I can reach.”

Mark is an active person who prefers to train toward a goal. This year, he was aiming to participate in the Peaks Challenge Falls Creek, which unfortunately got cancelled. But, he recently won fisiocrem’s Gold Coast Marathon Grand prize and he says, “I am excited to participate in my second marathon this year.”

When asked about who supports and motivates him Mark says, “My wife and two young daughters. They allow me to chase my goals and do what I love. I hope my fitness journey will inspire them to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.”

Mark’s biggest achievement to date was completing the fisiocrem River Run, after suffering a serious knee injury the year prior. He mentioned, “I stupidly competed in the event and suffered my first and only ‘Did Not Finish’ result. So coming back from that setback at last year’s event crushed the demons that haunted me.”

One of Mark’s biggest weaknesses is to “keep pushing through the tough part of the run.” He understands that to improve this he needs to “learn to pace the first part of the run and stretch the effort over the whole run.”

As Mark plans for the 2023 calendar, he wants to keep enjoying the excitement of racing and crossing each finish line again and again. Although his eyes are set on completing the Kakoda track in Papua New Guinea for his 50th birthday. Mark says, “I’m not setting any expectations for myself and just enjoying the thrills.”

When asked about who supports and motivates him Mark says, “My partner Karena, along with the love and support from my running tribe, which is second to none.”

Carly’s biggest achievement to date is completing a 50km Ultra Marathon during her house renovations! After her race was rescheduled, she also had to face working/parenting obstacles to overcome in order to complete the race. She mentioned, “it was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done.” All the early morning runs followed by long workdays, saw Carly conquer her Ultra Marathon goal!

One of Carly’s biggest weaknesses is her strength training. She says, “It seems to be the first thing I drop when I have limited time and have to set myself a goal to incorporate strength sessions into my future training plans.”

Carly always sets herself a goal to achieve each year. Her 2023 goal is to complete another Ultra Marathon and break the 50km+ distance. Carly says, “I want to see how capable I am both physically and mentally.” Carly will hire a coach to improve her physical strength.

When asked about who supports and motivates her Carly says, “My two boys, along with my husband support me in all aspects of life. They remind me that running makes me a better mum because it’s an outlet to de-stress.”

Chelsea’s biggest achievement is running her first Half Marathon back in 2020, followed by her first Ultra Marathon (50km) at the annual Blackall event. Chelsea says, “this was the hardest mental challenge I’ve ever faced, while my mind felt destroyed with all the emotions.” Chelsea has now completed a total of four Ultra Marathons (50km). Her 2023 goals are to tackle more difficult mountain terrains on various trail runs, complete more night runs, and step out of her comfort zone. She wants to become the best version of herself by limiting any self-doubt.