“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” These words are so very true. The road to the top is no easy road.

There are so many obstacles along the way which are there to test us, ground us and make us learn a lot about ourselves. “If it were easy, everyone would do it” No one ever said it would be easy but they did say it would be worth it. Ive come to learn that one needs to turn obstacles into opportunities and if we do that nothing will get in our way.

The last six months were a long, hard haul with many disappointments; from surgery, to injuries to not getting into races but through it all I never gave up. I wont give up, I have dreams and I’m not following them, I’m chasing them.

On the 13 March 2016, I stood on the start line of Nagoya Woman’s Marathon in Japan, the LARGEST womans marathon in the world. What a feeling that was. Thank you to my agent for setting this up for me, it was a trip ill cherish forever.

Being on the start line with 21,000 woman of which 89 finished in sub 3 hours is nothing less than incredible. Japan, Nagoya is the most beautiful place, so clean,      so efficient and the people are so incredibly helpful and friendly. I would go back in a heart beat.

Truth be told, I had a scare a week before I was due to race the marathon and almost had to pull out of this race but to no avail my physio did it again and got me to the line ready for action. The man with magic hands and a huge heart, someone I am so blessed to have on my team. Thank you Wayne for always being there for me.

13 March, 9.10am, 4 degrees freezing and READY TO RACE. To be honest I had no idea how this race would pan out, I had trained really hard and I was ready. After a very tough marathon in Prague last year where I ran on a knee injury I was a little scared so in my heart the biggest thing I wanted out of this race was to LOVE the marathon again. Im happy to say I got my wish, I LOVED every single step of the race.

It’s so incredible to run 42 km through a tunnel of people lining both sides of the road cheering us the whole way. I took in everything around me, I think I smiled from start to finish, ok maybe not the last 2kms hahaha. At 25kms I ran passed my husband and to his shock I shouted and waved happily at him, he was standing on a pillar and apparently nearly fell off in shock. Im not usually one to talk or wave in a race purely because I’m very focused and concentrating but I that day I was just so happy and loving the moment. “SMILE AND WAVE”

The race went to plan with a bit of a nasty bite at the end as only marathons can do. I finished into my husbands arms in 2 hrs 37 minutes and 12 seconds and STILL SMILING. I had run a PB (personal best time) by over 4 and a half minutes, it was an official Olympic qualifying time and Rio was in sight. I couldn’t be happier.

I had my children very young, I hadn’t traveled yet, I was 23 when I had my oldest and I remember saying to my husband that one day, when they are older I would travel. I never knew it would be doing the thing I love most in the world but I am absolutely loving being able to see the world through running. I hope I can inspire people and especially mothers to never give up and to see that just because you have children it doesn’t mean dreams end and you cant compete at an elite level or even just socially, because YOU CAN. Your world is your oyster, dream BIG. If your dreams don’t scare you… they not big enough. I have 3 little girls and I run for them, to see how proud they are of me is heart melting.

Be proud of your journey, know that the path is not clear for anyone, handle your disappointments with courage and turn obstacles into opportunities.

GO FOR IT.

“THE ROAD TO ATHLETIC GREATNESS IS NOT MARKED BY PERFECTION BUT THE ABILITY TO CONSTANTLY OVERCOME ADVERSITY AND FAILURE”