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Turia Pitt: “Instead of obsessing over what happened to me, I directed my energy to create a good life for myself”
Exclusive interview
The Australian model and engineer suffered horrific burns. Nine years later, she has started a family, is a writer and teaches others the path to improvement
There are days, or rather moments, sparks of eternity, which together with a certain conjunction of circumstances change everything forever. For the Australian model and mining engineer Turia Pitt This radical crossing of time and space occurred on September 2, 2011, when I was 24 years old and participating in an ultramarathon through the mountains that was interrupted by a wild blast of fire that cornered her and scorched 65 percent of her body. That rampant and uncontrolled pasture fire had it all to become his death sentence. Incredibly, she managed to survive.
In the second part of her story, everything has changed for Turia Pitt. To begin with, and radically, his
physical appearance, after more than 200 operations, amputations and grafts, six months of agony in the hospital and another two years of painful and slow rehabilitation.
But the true revolution of Turia Pitt has occurred within her. It is the one that appears in his sparkling eyes and has to do with her incredible fortitude and determination to overcome the tragedy, be happy with what life has given you and turn your path into a guide for others who suffer. Turia Pitt is currently a lecturer, writer, coach, and activist. On her website, her public appearances and on her social networks, where she is followed by almost a million people, she teaches her optimism and her recipes to live better, take care of herself and achieve her goals.
Nobody disputes that he knows what he is talking about. In 2016 he managed to complete the Ironman from Australia and shortly after he repeated in the even more demanding one of Hawaii, even though the doctors had told him that he would never even walk again. It also surprised everyone by have a child, despite the fact that motherhood – they warned her after the accident – was an impossible dream to achieve. In case there were doubts, he has repeated, and has a second child of a few months.
That claw is the one that transmits his gaze, furious with the will to live. With that spirit, spoke with ABC Bienestar on overcoming and positivism.
How do you feel when you remember that day of the fire? How do you interpret what happened to you?
I think I think of myself as the Turia before the fire and the Turia afterwards. I have certainly changed in the last ten years, I look very different, but I have also had incredible and wonderful careers and events, I have had two children, I have built a business, I have written four books that are “best sellers” and I have created a life really pretty to me. So when I see my photos of that day of the fire, of course I get sad, because I know what awaits that girl, how hard and challenging everything will be for her, but I also feel pride, because I know that she will achieve it.
How did you overcome the very common thought in this type of event of “why me, why me”?
I changed my focus. Instead of obsessing over what happened to me, I directed my energy toward creating a good life for myself. I focused on giving something back to the community and in my relationship with the people I love.
Do you believe in miracles? How do you explain that you survived that day?
I don’t believe in miracles. I am an engineer, I am logical and pragmatic by nature. I survived thanks to the excellent medical care I received, the support of my family and friends, and also having had a little bit of luck. It sounds creepy, but when I was caught on fire and literally burning alive, I only had one sharp thought: Michael. My handsome, humble, funny and discreet companion. I felt cheated by life, because we weren’t going to be able to fulfill all the incredible dreams we had as a couple. I don’t mean to sound corny, but I am truly grateful for every day that I can share with him and I deeply wish to grow old by his side. That does not mean that I scold him for how he takes out the garbage, or I get angry because he does not make the bed or deeply hate that he opens a second container of yogurt when there is another open in the fridge. But it makes me happy that an unmade bed is the biggest problem between us.
How did you manage to see something positive in what happened to you? What helped you change your perspective? How do you go from drama to overcoming?
There wasn’t a specific moment when I thought everything was going to be okay. On the contrary, my path has been marked by good days and bad days, very hard stages and moments in which I felt that I was giving up. What I did was accept all my emotions, even if they were uncomfortable. If I was angry, I would let it. If I felt sad, I allowed myself to be sad. If he did, those emotions would dissipate sooner.
How do you deal with chronic pain and ongoing suffering?
Pain and suffering can be relentless. The basics can help: eat healthy, exercise, sleep well, drink water. Perspective helps too. I recommend Holocaust survivor Eddi Jaku’s book, “The Happiest Man on Earth,” or the movies “Untouchable” and “Touching the Void.” My books are also quite good, “Happy” is the last one, and it contains many tips to achieve happiness even in the hardest moments of life. Finally, if a person is in a time of deep pain and suffering, they should seek professional help. When your car breaks down, you take it to a mechanic and your teeth are fixed by a dentist, so when you feel bad the least is to get help from a professional.
Resilience, inner strength, will. Are we born with these attributes or is it possible to learn to develop them?
It is certainly possible to learn and develop these characteristics. It would be great if we could learn about resilience, courage and determination by reading an article. But the only way to do that is by testing ourselves and surpassing ourselves when the going gets tough.
What would you say is your mission in life?
Create and do cool things that make others happier.
Not only are you a positive person, but you display a great sense of humor. Does that help too?
The laugh is the best medicine. It reduces stress, improves the immune system, relieves pain, increases feelings of satisfaction and improves mood.
Do you have some kind of phrase or motto to go out into the world every day to do your best?
Yes. Every morning I ask myself: “what will make this day unique, special?” And whether it’s going for a walk, zooming in with my friends, trying a new personal care product, or making some nice chicken soup, think in the morning what that great thing about the day will be and make sure to chase after it and do it. You feel much more encouraged to start the day if you focus on a positive event, and since our lives are made up of days, it seems to make a lot of sense to make each of them something good.
אשה חזקה לא כולם היו רוצים לחיות ככה