Most of us have an insecurity of some sort when it comes to our physical appearance. For some people, it’s the color of their teeth. Others despise the shape of their face, the size of their nose, or the natural color of their hair. Because of the insecurities we have, we might find ways to “fix” or hide them, whether that be by wearing baggy clothing, slapping on extra makeup, or even opting for cosmetic surgery.
For a 23-year-old Australian woman, Turia Pitt, she seemed to have it all. She had a loving boyfriend named Michael Hoskin, who recently graduated from the University of New South Wales, and had just accepted a job as a mining engineer. To top it off, she had a great athletic life with Michael. However, when she was participating in an ultramarathon in 2011 across the Kimberly region, something occurred that would drastically alter her appearance forever.
Two hours into the 26+ mile-long competition, Turia came across a rapid and unexpected bush fire. The athlete climbed up the rocky cliff she was on as quickly as possible to escape the flames spreading quickly behind her, but eventually, the bush fire caught up to her. Turia found herself on the ground and in so much pain from over 65% of her body burned that she couldn’t even scream for help.
Once someone found Turia, she was immediately taken to the hospital where she was placed in a month-long, medically-induced coma, which would help protect her brain from swelling after her extensive injuries. In addition, due to the severe burns she received, seven of her fingers had to be amputated. In total, the young woman had to be hospitalized for six months and had 200 different surgeries performed.
Her initial recovery took a whopping two years. During this time period, it was critical that she covered her skin, including her face, to prevent further damage as well as to help smooth out her scars. That’s when Turia started to wear a ski mask for 23 hours a day. However, eventually, the mask became a way for her to hide one of her insecurities. The one hour she did take the mask off was to earn extra money from modeling, but it was harder than she ever imagined.
“I just lost it. Then I realized I was just as vain as anyone else,” Turia admitted when she saw her maskless reflection.
Although she knew her appearance would never go back to what it originally was, Turia’s boyfriend stuck by her side the entire time. Just a year after the bush fire incident, the couple got engaged, and in late 2017, they brought a healthy baby boy into the world named Hakavai.
Still, it took time for Turia to accept her battle scars. One of the truly bravest things she has done apart from undergoing numerous operations was taking her mask off on the show, 60 minutes. Once featured on the show, the woman now in her early 30’s became a celebrity, eventually giving her the opportunity to become a professional author and motivational speaker.
Due to her remarkable story, Turia Pitt has received great recognition. She received the title of the New South Wales Premier’s Award Woman of the Year and was a Young Australian of the Year finalist in 2014. A couple of years later, she was a finalist for the Australian of the Year award.
And despite her traumatic experience in her 2011 competition, Turia continued to run in different events. In May of 2016, the athlete finished her very first Ironman Australia triathlon in a little over 13 hours and competed in another just five months later.
Turia also earned a multi-million dollar settlement in 2014 when it was discovered that the ultramarathon she partook in, RacingThePlanet, didn’t do enough to keep participants safe.
While she still didn’t receive the settlement by 2018, Turia is still playing the role of an advocate following her rare experience. Turia is currently a ReSurge International ambassador that helps provide reconstructive surgical care for individuals in developing countries worldwide. To date, the survivor has raised over a million dollars for the non-profit through various fundraising campaigns.
All in all, while Turia didn’t deserve the trauma she has gone through, good things can come from bad events. To be able to play the role of an advocate and role model for so many people is an honor.
Watch a timelapse of Turia Pitt’s amazing recovery below!
