Turia Pitt: 'I lost friends after the fire'
Burns survivor Turia Pitt has opened up about the aftermath of the fire that very nearly took her life.
Turia, 31, suffered burns to 65 per cent of her body, spent 864 days in hospital and had to learnt to walk again when she was caught in a grassfire during a marathon in 2011.
But the mum and inspirational speaker doesn't shy away from speaking about that fateful day and the horror injuries she was faced with.
Speaking with whimn.com.au about her new book The Good Selfie, Turia revealed the harsh reality of her recovery.
'I got a question from a kid, who said they didn’t have a very big circle of friends. They asked "did you lose any friends after the fire?" she told the publication.
'And my response was "yes I did". It can sometimes be awkward being there for people when they’ve been through something so traumatic.'
While Turia was faced with an unimaginable process of rehabilitation, she says a small circle of friends and family stayed and kept her sane.
This included her mother, grandmother, now-fiancé Michael and a special friend named Mary who would call and send Turia flowers regularly.
But Turia understands people deal with tragedy in their own way.
'You can be there for someone in your own way, whether it’s cooking, driving someone somewhere, sending flowers, or leaving a note,' she added.
Turia now has a son, Hakavai, aged one, with her fiance Michael.
Incredibly, Turia still regularly competes in Ironwoman competitions, marathons and triathlons.
Her self-help book is full of pearls of wisdom for kids and teenagers struggling with body image and mental health.
