Juice Plus+® Ultra Spirit Fun Run to raise funds for ultra-marathon burn victims Kate Sanderson and Turia Pitt

Melbourne, 14th June 2012: The Juice Plus+® Ultra Spirit fun run launches today to help raise money for Kate Sanderson and Turia Pitt. The run will take place at 8am on Saturday 1st September around Melbourne’s iconic ‘The Tan’ running track in the Royal Botanical Gardens – entries are open now.
Both Kate and Turia were tragically burnt in bush fires while taking part in a 100km ultra-marathon in the Kimberly Desert last year. Both girls suffered horrendous burns to over 60% of their bodies, changing their lives forever.

We’re calling on Australians to show their support and the true meaning of spirit by signing up to take part in the two-lap race (7.6km) around The Tan. Entry is $50[1] and all proceeds raised will go towards helping the girls re-build their lives, thanks to the generosity of sponsor, Juice Plus+®.
Both girls sustained debilitating injuries including amputations, scarring and major restrictions in the movement of their joints. They rely on compression garments to help heal their skin and require constant care to simply help them deal with day-to-day tasks. Turia will have to wear a full body compression suit and mask for the next two years, and is not be allowed in the sun without her body being totally covered until 2014.

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Turia Pitt fundraiser

On September 5th 2011, Turia participated in Racing the Planet’s Kimberley Ultramarathon.  During the early stages of this race, Turia and four other runners became trapped in a gorge when a bushfire, burning out of control in the El Questro Wilderness Park, engulfed Turia and her fellow competitors. 

Turia suffered horrendous burns to 60% of her body, sustaining the worst burns on her arms, hands and legs.  Her face and neck were also burned. Turia will have to wear a full body compression suit for the next two years and will not be allowed in the sun without her body being totally covered until 2014. 

Although the majority of her medical expenses will be covered through Medicare and her health fund, there are huge medical and associated costs that will be a financial burden on Turia and family e.g. cosmetic procedures, prosthetic fingers, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, counselling support and day-today living expenses during her recovery.  Obviously, Turia will be unable to work for some years because of the debilitating injuries sustained.  

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Young girl suffers serious burns

young girl has suffered significant burns to her upper body and head as a result of a camping accident on the south coast yesterday.

About 7.45pm (Monday 26 December 2011) a 12-year-old girl and her family were staying with relatives at a caravan park in Culburra Beach.

The young girl and her family were sitting at a table out the front of the campsite which had a ‘mood flame’ burning from a stainless steel canister.

The flame was almost out so one of the adults began to refill the container with ethanol fuel. As she did this a gust of wind blew, causing the flame to jump onto the young girl, igniting her hair and clothing.

The flames were quickly smothered by family members and the young girl was placed in a shower until the arrival of paramedics.

She was taken by ambulance to Shoalhaven Memorial District Hospital before being airlifted to Westmead Hospital suffering burns to 35% of her body.

She remains in a series but stable condition.

Source: NSW Police

Killer blaze that claimed runner not deliberately lit

AN ultra-marathon runner caught in the Kimberley blaze has been taken off the critical list as an investigation by police has found the bushfire was not deliberately lit.

Melbourne runner Kate Sanderson, 35, is in a serious, but stable condition, according to a spokesman at The Alfred hospital.

Sanderson and fellow runner, Argyle Diamonds mining engineer Turia Pitt, 24, were the worst injured in the bushfires, which trapped runners competing in the 100km Kimberley Ultramarathon on September 2.

Pitt was being treated at Sydney's Concord Hospital.

Both women received burns to more than 80 per cent of their bodies.

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Bushfire marathon: Organisers were 'cowboys'

ORGANISERS of a desert marathon that left two women fighting for life after becoming trapped in a bushfire were yesterday described as "cowboys" with no clue about outback conditions.

A former competitor said organisers were "grossly unprepared" for last year's 250km race and had to urgently fly in intravenous fluids.

Footage of the weekend's 100km Kimberley Ultramarathon clearly shows smoke on the horizon just after the start, and it was reported that the course had to be re-marked just before the event after scrub fires burnt ribbon markers.

Ulladulla model Turia Pitt was among those burned when runners became trapped in a narrow gorge as bushfires, which had burned in the remote WA wilderness for up to a week, changed direction.

She was in a critical condition in Concord Hospital while marathon veteran Kate Sanderson is in Melbourne's Alfred Hospital. Both have burns to 80-90 per cent of their bodies.