Kellyville’s Taylor-Jane Pridmore gears up for Big Red Run marathon challenge
TAYLOR-JANE Pridmore could swim before she walked and is used to pushing herself to the extreme.
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TAYLOR-JANE Pridmore could swim before she walked and is used to pushing herself to the extreme.
But the Kellyville local’s next challenge could well be her toughest as she tackles the feared Big Red Run in Queensland.
This ultra run covers 250km through the eastern Simpson Desert and puts the runners through extreme conditions including camping on the barest minium every night.
The cause of the run is the reason Taylor-Jane is passionate about: raising support and funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Her target is $1500 and she has raised nearly one third of it todate.
Pridmore, the elder sister of Australian Schoolgirls football team captain Erin, has always loved sports but admits this is the toughest challenge she has set herself.
“I have always played sports and never swam before I could walk,” said the bubbly Pridmore, who holds a black belt in taekwondo.
“When I started attending Macquarie University, I was still playing in a social netball comp but was falling in love with the gym more than anything, to the point I was there everyday.
“I also began parkrun, a Saturday, free, timed 5k community organised event at The Ponds.
“I was very slow but I kept going, along with my dad who has now completed over 100 runs.”
The former William Clarke College student has since completed her media degree and also lost more than 15kg over the last one and half years, providing her the motivation to try something more unforgiving than the parkrun.
“Dad introduced me to Sydney Trail Series and I loved them,” the 21-year-old Pridmore said.
“I began by competing in the 10km, then 12km and more recently 21km events and plan to run a 30km event next.
“Through Sydney Trail Series I found out about the Big Red Run which is organised by the same people (Big Run Events).
“I knew instantly I had to do it as I have always needed a goal or challenge.”
The highly-competitive netball, softball, touch football and football player got stuck into her this challenge with typical gusto, lifting heavier weights at the gym and going for trail runs on Sunday before she injured herself.
The setback pushed her to get a running coach and she joined the Blue Mountains-based Up Coaching just over a month ago.
“With the help of my coach I am running almost every day now and include some long group trail runs in the mountains,” Pridmore said.
“The sessions are always challenging for the mind and body but I never expected my body to adapt so quickly and I am loving it so much.”
■ To support Pridmore: visit: http://bit.ly/2mcHjcx
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