Turia Pitt was just 24 years old when she received severe burns to 65 per cent of her body after being caught in a 2011 bush fire while competing in a 100K ultramarathon in the Kimberley in Western Australia.
After spending a month in a medically induced coma, a further five in hospital, and undergoing the amputation of her fingers and thumb on her right hand, she’s now on the journey to recovery, sharing her story as an author and inspirational speaker.
While she completed her personal goal of competing in an Ironman triathlon last year, in 2017, the now-29-year-old is focusing on more operations.
And even though she admits surgery is far from her idea of fun (she’s had over 200 since that fateful day), Turia is making a new year’s resolution to “re-frame” her mind.
“Re-framing is simply looking at your challenges, goals and life in a different way,” the brunette beauty writes in a candid post on her website.
“This year I need to have about 4-5 surgeries. No one looks forward to surgery and, even after having over 200 operations, it’s still no walk in the park for me.
“It’s scary, you lose a lot of time in recovery and it can be hard to keep working towards your goals when you’ve got to take a few weeks out.
“So, what I do is change the frame through which I look at the situation. Instead of feeling frustrated, scared or overwhelmed, I choose to look at my surgeries as a good thing.
“I get to catch up with all the medical staff who have worked with me over the years, it’s forced time out, I get to eat ice cream and watch movies and most importantly, the benefits of having the surgery will far outweigh a few weeks of discomfort.”
She explains her process of challenging and questioning the negative thoughts that can creep in by asking: “Are the thoughts you’re having logical? Are they even true? Is there another way to interpret the situation you’re in?”
Next, the Mollymook local encourages her readers to make the choice of eschewing those negative thoughts, and instead replace them with ones of positivity.
Woman’s Day wishes Turia the best with her surgeries in 2017!
WATCH: The incredible moment Turia Pitt completes an Ironman triathlon in the video player below!
