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The 29-year-old completed the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii in 14 hours 37 minutes and 30 seconds. The gruelling race which has been said to be one of the hardest in the world, consisted of a 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km marathon on Sunday in the town of Kailua-Kona.
Five years ago, Pitt suffered burns to 65% of her body when she was surround by a WA bushfire whilst competing in an ultra-marathon in which doctors told her she would never run again.
Before the race started Pitt told the Herald Sun that the final section of the Ironman World Championships would be a tough test.
“Because of my burns, I can’t regulate my own body temperature. I have to make adjustments or use standard tri gear in different ways … I will need things such as cooling sleeves and white suits to deal with the heat in Kona,’’ she said.
“I’d rather take a crack at it and fail than not even try at all.”
The severe burns to her hands meant that Turia had custom-made gear and brake levers on her bike. In addition Pitt wore special race clothing to help cope with the humidity and heat in Hawaii.
“It wasn’t so much for other people, it was a personal goal,” Ms Pitt told the Herald Sun. “The original reason I wanted to do the Ironman in Australia is I wanted to prove I was fitter than I was in the ultra-marathon where I was injured. I think Kona is just an extension of that.”
This was Turia’s second Ironman triathlon finish, following the Ironman Australia race at Port Macquarie back in May.
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