You have to rub your eyes a couple of times when you read about Lucy Bartholomew. She runs, she runs a LOT and has amazing endurance and courage. It's quite remarkable she's still only 21 and just recently on her birthday came 1st in the Ultra Trail Australia 100km race in the beautiful Blue Mountains. You can follow her adventures running around the world here, go Lucy!!

You are elite in your field, can you tell us how you got into it and why you love it?
I started running as a way to spend time with my dad. I always ran in school but I was never very good but I always was drawn to the longer distances because no one else could be bothered so I started to win, at first not because I was very good but because it wasn’t super competitive. My Dad has run 20 Melbourne Marathons and started to realize that he wasn’t getting any faster so he decided to take on a new challenge of running 100km through the Blue Mountains. I was 15 and I was completing the same training he was, going to some amazing places, running slowly and eating ALOT of food...it felt like a great balance. I watched him complete this race and immediately wanted to achieve this goal, the scenery was amazing and the diversity of the people that were taking on and competing this challenge was amazing. I nagged every race director until I was allowed to compete in a 100km even with my Dad at 15 years old. I love this sport because when I started it was super new to Australia, it was raw and the people were real. There is no money, you do it for love; love of the community, love of nature and love of finding your potential and pushing the limits. Now I enjoy continuing to push myself to compete rather than complete and using my story to inspire others- mainly women to take on a challenge that takes them away from their comfort zone.

What does your typical day look like?
Every day is different but my favourite days start with waking in the dark, running through the sunrise. Returning home to a big green smoothie bowl. Doing some core work, stretching and work on the computer, a big salad for lunch and then heading back out for another easy run or a harder session followed by more smoothies and then starting to prepare dinner for my Dad and Brother normally another bowl of veggies and catching up on their days. Then early to bed to do it all again the next day!

Has your sport taken you to any wonder spots on this planet?
The best bit about this sport is the places that it can take you. I still can’t believe the places I have seen and the opportunities I get. I have been to heart of Australia in the Simpson desert, the mountains of France, Italy, Spain, the ridges of Norway, The Gobi Desert of China and the city trails of Hong Kong. I am so grateful for these opportunities.

Training hard is one thing but diet is so important, do you follow any particular diet or routine?
Diet is everything to me. Anyone who follows me will know I probably spend more time making and preparing food then I do running. I follow a plant based lifestyle which I find works well for me at the moment. I love a diet of colour and variety. Nutrition is my biggest passion away from running.

If you can spend your birthday anywhere and with anyone, what would you be doing?
Tough! I would probably say Antarctica because I really want to go there. I actually hate the cold but the animals and location looks amazing. I would want to go there with my family.

Are you a dog or cat person?
I’ve had great pets of both so I find this so hard. I like cats for the rest days, the cold days and the warmth they provide. BUT then I like dogs for their energy, the motivation to go outside and the bond that you can share!

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