Turia Pitt is living proof that, with the right mindset, anything is possible.
Caught in a grass fire while competing in a 100km ultramarathon in 2011, Turia suffered full thickness burns to 65% of her body. But surviving is the least of her achievements.
One of Australia’s most admired and widely recognised people, Turia has gone on to become a bestselling author, two-time Ironman and humanitarian – raising well over a million dollars for not-for-profit Interplast.
In her keynote address at the HR Summit in Sydney, Turia shared some of her biggest achievements and the strategies that helped her rebuild her life and achieve seemingly “impossible” goals.
Her keynote address was witty and full of raw honesty. Her story proves that with the right mindset, anything is possible.
Here are a few gems extracted from the HR Summit that you can use right away for yourself and your business.
Be consistent and continually show up
Turia says that people tend to only focus on her achievements such as her competing in the Ironman World Championship, a gruelling 14 1/2 hours of physical torture comprising a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike ride and a 42km marathon run.
She explains that achieving any goal looks easy from the outside. What you don’t see is the grind and hard work behind the scenes, “I was overworked but I was consistent and continually showed up”.
Turia was repeatedly told that she was not smart or strong enough. In school, she knew she wanted to be an engineer and choose subjects like maths and science. Her teachers told her these were not “girl subjects” and wouldn’t get far. She proved them wrong and aced all her subjects.
Doctors told her she would never run again but she proved them wrong, “I was committed to recovery and worked hard to show up each day climbing those stairs even though it was painful” Turia reflects.
Be a lifelong learner
Turia had more than 200 operations (and still counting) and while she didn’t have to have all the procedures, she knew that with each one, her quality of life would be better.
“I believe in continuous improvement. If you’re not learning and diversifying – you’re stagnant. When we go through any change, it is an uncomfortable process. It can feel like everyone is watching. Nitpicking and watching your every move. People at the airport were checking me out after my laser procedure but instead of feeling self-conscious, I decided to wear my skin like a boss. If you cannot own what’s unique about you, no one else can”.
She reflects on the time she had to have daily bandage changes. After voicing her frustrations to the nurse after each change, the nurse said, “You’re gonna be here for months and you have to learn how to cope.”
She describes the pain of bandage changes as like "a metal ruler scrapping down your raw body”.
“So learning that I had to cope, I volunteered myself first every day. I wanted to get the worst over and done with”.
The lesson is that whatever you don’t want to do, do it first and get it done. This means you’ll take ownership and control of the situation. And this is empowering.
Back yourself
Turia says that as parents we want our kids to be happy, but that’s not realistic. She says we need to teach kids resilience and self-belief and “the best way to do this is to let kids fail”.
She says her mother was a perfect example of someone who never gave up and believed in herself. Turia reveals her mother's perseverance over the years has helped her through 'impossibly hard' times. Her mother wrote a book about Tahiti which was rejected by publishers. Instead of being deterred, she wrote a second book which was picked up.
Turia remembers her mother tapping away at the keyboard every night despite being a mother of four kids and having a full-time job.
“This second book was picked up by a publisher and it almost instantly became a commercial success. It was translated into 10 different languages and published in 20 different countries,” Turia proudly reflects.
Practice gratitude
Turia says the most important thing in the world is relationships. She stresses the importance of language such as using the phrase “I have to...” which can be resentful. Instead, say “I get to...”. This changes the obligation to gratitude.
“When you’re going through a tough time, and someone says practice gratitude, you really want to punch them in the face but it works. Start your day by framing your mind and thank the people around you”.
Celebrate success
When asked what’s next for her, Turia said success was the ability to go after the things we want but don't forget to savour the moment and take the time to think back and reflect. Celebrate every success. There is no need to quickly go into the next big thing.
