Last year was the most memorable of Turia Pitt’s extraordinary life, which, for a woman of her indomitable spirit, is a big statement.
Defying death to conquer both the natural and business world is no mean feat. But as any parent will tell you, the moment your baby takes their first, miraculous breath, life is never the same again.
Hakavai Hoskin arrived in the world on December 7, 2017, after 13 hours of labour, fulfilling a long-cherished dream of Turia, 31, and her partner Michael Hoskin.
Over the past year, Turia has learned and played and grown in ways she’d never imagined. Like all new mothers, she has discovered that, no matter how much you try, nothing quite prepares you for that first, thrilling year of parenthood.
“It’s pretty magical,” she gushes.
While Turia wasn’t surprised by the rigours of motherhood, having devoured books on the subject and watched friends become parents, she did come to realise that caring for a “smushy” little baby meant adjusting her mindset.
“I’ve always had boundless amounts of energy and after having a baby I don’t any more,” Turia says.
“I think I used to take for granted how energetic I was all the time. I realised no, I’ve actually got to stop and take care of myself. Having a baby makes you realise that. It is hard to wrap your head around the fact that someone else has priority and you’ve got to put that person first in everything that you do.”
Turia met members of the Himba tribe while on holiday in Namibia.
Since she was caught in a grassfire while competing in an ultra-marathon in Western Australia in 2011, Turia has undergone more than 200 surgeries, but she has forged ahead with her goals: trekking Kokoda and the Incan trails, cycling from Sydney to Uluru and raising more than $1 million for charity.
She has become a best-selling author, motivational speaker and founded an online life-coaching programme, School of Champions.
For the woman who has come to be known as 90 per cent pure grit (and 10 per cent self-deprecating comedian – her Instagram is hilarious) learning to relinquish a little control was the key to getting through the first year of parenthood.
“When I first had Hakavai I fully had to adjust the expectations that I had,” Turia says.
“It’s not feasible for me to go out and do a six-hour bike ride. I mean, I could, but I don’t actually want to. I’d rather spend that time with my son. I’ve adjusted those expectations I have of myself.”
While there are no wedding plans on the horizon – at least, none that Turia is aware of – fiancé Michael remains a rock of support, which is vital with an active bub who is growing rapidly towards toddlerhood.
“I reckon we all have different versions of ourselves. It depends on the day or the stage of life we’re in,” Turia wrote in her memoir, Unmasked.
“I can say without a shadow of doubt that the version of myself that I love the most is the version that I am when I’m with Michael. He’s my best friend. He knows me better than anyone. He not only lets me be me but he celebrates me – and indulges every single one of my crazy adventures.”
Known for her ability to overcome anything life throws at her, Turia confesses that she has to work to motivate herself.
Her tactic is to focus on the next step she has to take towards her goal. It’s a lesson she learnt when she decided she wanted to compete in the Ironman World Championships, a goal she set while still in hospital in 2011 and not yet able to walk again.
“I remember my mum put a poster of a triathlete on my wall and the nurse said, ‘You should take that down, that’s cruel. You’re giving your daughter false hope,'” she says.
“I don’t think there is such a thing as false hope because if you have hope for your future, that’s a pretty optimistic and positive thing to take with you into the present.”
As we know, Turia did walk again, and she did travel to Kona, Hawaii, in 2016, to compete in the Ironman Championships, with her friends and family cheering madly from the sidelines. It’s a moment that has stayed with her, and still brings her immense pride and happiness. It stands as a reminder of what can be achieved through dedication and faith.
“If we’re not challenged and we’re not stretched, we can’t grow, we can’t get to the next level,” Turia says.
“A lot of people think I’m naturally motivated but I’m not. I just focus on what I have to do today that will move me towards my goals – what’s the one thing?”
Turia at the Ironman Championships in Hawaii in 2016 Photograph: Michael Klein
Despite the arrival of her cheeky little boy, Turia’s career is still forging ahead. She tells The Australian Women’s Weekly she’s “a bit stressed” about her upcoming book, Good Selfie, and is gearing up for a big 2019. She has also signed on to be an ambassador for skincare company Avène.
“Two years after my accident I went to a rehab facility in France and they used the Avène moisturiser on my skin. Burnt skin – and even anyone who has sensitive skin or intolerant skin – it can be really dry and itchy. I found it was like… I don’t want to say magic, but I’d never found a moisturiser that was like that for my skin.”
But before you start thinking everying in Turia’s life is in immaculate shape, she has a confession: “My house looks like an absolute bomb,” she laughs.
“I’ve realised that, if you want to achieve all these goals and you want to still live your life at a really high level, yeah, you can do that but you can’t do every single thing in your life at the same level you did before you had a baby. And that’s because there’s another element in there. One day he’ll be 15 and he won’t need me any more. He’ll say: Mum I just want to hang out with my friends, sorry.
“I’m very cognisant of the fact that he’s only going to be one once. He’s only going to be little and smushy and I’ll only be able to cuddle him for a certain amount of time, then we’ll move into the next phase.
“I think that’s the really cool thing of life. You just don’t know what’s in store for you.”
