Turia Pitt is truly an inspirational woman; not only is she an athlete, mining engineer, author, and motivational speaker, on top of that, the 36-year-old is also a devoted wife and mother of two.
In case you haven’t heard of Turia’s unbelievable story, she overcame what many wouldn’t be able to when she suffered terrible injuries received after she was almost killed in a bushfire while competing in a 100km ultra-marathon in 2011, which left her with burns to 65 per cent of her body.
Turia was placed in a medically-induced coma for a month, while all the fingers on her right hand, as well as two on her left, were amputated. She underwent more than 200 surgeries and took two years to fully recover.
“I’ve had to claw my way back into life – learn to walk, to talk. All the things I had taken for granted before became seemingly impossible tasks,” Turia told The Australian Women’s Weekly
But rather than dwelling on the negatives of the life-changing event, as many would, Turia became determined to make the most of her life by helping others and embracing her blessings – particularly, her doting fiancé Michael, who has been by her side before, during, and after the life-changing event.
While he proposed to Turia in 2015, Michael – who has been dating Turia since 2009 – revealed he had planned on proposing years beforehand.
Michael actually bought the ring when Turia was in intensive care back in 2011, immediately after the fire.
WATCH: Turia Pitt and Michael Hoskin’s love story (Article continues after video)
“When Turia was in intensive care after her accident, I went out and bought a diamond ring,” Michael told The Australian Women’s Weekly in 2015.
“I showed it to my dad as we stood by her hospital bedside and said, ‘If she lives, I am going to marry her.’ Dad just looked at me and said, ‘Good on you, mate’.”
Now, 13 years on from the moment that changed her life forever, Turia and Michael are going stronger than ever.
“Michael’s my life partner. I’ve known that for years. And we’ve talked about marriage for as long as I can remember and yet the proposal still came as a surprise,” Turia told The Australian Women’s Weekly in 2019.
“I can say without a shadow of a 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.”
The loved-up pair have since welcomed two beautiful boys, Hakavai, six, and Rahiti, four, with Turia regularly keeping fans updated on her journey through parenthood.
Speaking to 9Honey, Turia said she and Michael are a “good team” when it comes to parenting, though admitted, “it’s really hard”.
“I hate to say this, but I’m definitely more the disciplinarian,” she told the publication. “Michael is the softie!”
“The reality is we have two young kids, I’m sleeping next to Hakavai, he might be with Rahiti, someone sleeps on the couch.
“We might be tired, irritable… and cranky. It’s really hard.”
Despite the challenges, she said that becoming parents has brought out the best in her relationship with the man she first met in high school.
“I feel like the version of me that Michael likes best is ‘Turia the mum’, and the version I like best is ‘Michael the dad’,” she said, adding, “I really admire his parenting and I love seeing him with the boys. And I know he feels the same about me.”
In July 2024, Turia shared a further candid update about her parenting journey.
They say you lose yourself in motherhood,” she wrote on Instagram. “But maybe it could be the start of finding yourself?”
Explaining she is more “patient, caring, nurturing, forgiving, and balanced” as a mum, Turia said that while she has “changed” as a mother, she still feels like herself.
“Just a wiser and more mellow version (and let’s be honest, a lot more tired 😂),” the athlete wrote.
“Thanks for choosing me to be your Mum 😍.”
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