Turia Pitt is officially an Ironwoman.
The Mollymook triathlete completed her first Ironman event in 13 hours and 24 minutes at Port Macquarie on Sunday.
The media spotlight was on the 28-year-old who was determined to reach her goal almost five years after receiving burns to 65 per cent of her body while competing in an ultra marathon through Western Australia's Kimberley region in 2011.
Thousands of Turia’s supporters sent encouraging message via social media as she completed the 3.8km swim in one hour and 16 minutes, the 180km bike ride in a time of seven hours and 13 minutes and the gruelling 42.2 km run in just over five hours.
Turia had trained long and hard for the Ironman and said she was fitter going into the event that she was when she entered the Kimberley event that changed her life.
She told the Times she was elated to have smashed her goal.
“It was a tough slog but I’m so elated,” she said.
“There were a few hard moments during the race, but I pushed through and was absolutely stoked to find out I beat the time target I set for myself.
“I’m really proud of myself and am excited to spend a few days eating and doing absolutely nothing.”
There’s no rest planned for Turia who will head to Papua New Guinea at the end of the month to walk the Kokoda Track as part of her role as an ambassador for Interplast, a charity organisation that provides reconstructive surgery to people in the Asia-Pacific.
