About Me

Hello fellow Mum Runners!

My name is Rita and I am super excited to have been invited to represent Victoria as a Mum Runner Ambassador.

Whilst I used to run in high school I was very much focused on the short, sharp distances and dreaded the days when we were forced to run laps around the school. My adult running journey started when I was sitting in a school assembly in late 2014 and the mother of one of my daughters friends turned around and told me about a community running event she had gone to the week before- its 5km and its free she said. My darling hubby scoffed and said “haha there is no way she is going to run 5km”. My response was “see you tomorrow”…and that was that. I am now sitting at 214 parkruns and hope to get to 250 in 2020!

I didn’t do any extra running apart from parkrun for a few years but I did play netball every week and did Tae Kwon Do with my kids. I am not sure how it happened but a group from our parkrun community started to step it up and participate in running events outside of parkrun. I decided I would run my first half marathon at Run Melbourne in July 2017, but first I had to run more than 5km! My first official event was the 10km at Brimbank running festival of that year. My next event was my half marathon where adrenaline carried me a long way! I didn’t manage to break that PB till this year.

I have since run 14 half marathons, 3 full marathons and a 30km trail run. Gold coast Marathon was by far my favourite large event and Shepparton Running Festival and Brimbank running festivals are great smaller, community based events. I do get out and about a fair bit so if you see me come and say hi!

I would love to one day run the New York City Marathon and it is on my bucket list…maybe 2021! My major 2020 goal is to complete and survive the UTA 50. Luckily I have some wonderful run buddies taking on the challenge with me and we will be embracing the trails for the next 6 months.

Running, to me, is an opportunity to get outside and work on my goals. I have found that the older I get the more ambitious I am and more outrageous my goals become. Some days my runs are awful and that’s ok…there is always tomorrow. Luckily I am supported by a wonderful family (my once doubtful husband is my biggest fan!) as well as awesome run buddies in real life and also in the online community.

I was very grateful to come across the very motivating Mum Runner Community in February of this year when I participated in the Run Together Challenge with my run buddy Sar Bear. I have participated in most challenges since this and was fortunate enough to lead Team Victoria in the Game of Zones Challenge in June and again in the upcoming Superheroes of Summer (already have my batgirl costume ready!).

If I had to give one piece of advice to a new runner it would be this –

You do you. Find your reasons for running and do it for yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others. Make the most of supportive online communities like this one and no question is a stupid question….

Ok so that was more than one bit of advice but it’s all relevant.

When I am not running I am working as a Senior Researcher at a Cancer Hospital, being a wife and mum (2 human kids and 2 furry dog kids). I am a run director at Highlands parkrun (come visit!) and a volunteer grant ambassador for parkrun Australia (I write those grants to get the funds to establish new events).

I am very much looking forward to the year ahead and hopefully meeting many of you!