The Australian Women's Weekly magazine has featured women such as Princess Diana, Kate Middleton, Nicole Kidman and (Australian actress) Rachael Taylor on their past covers.Their new cover, however, doesn't feature an actress, or a model, or what any of us have come to know as a traditional "star." The July 2014 cover girl is Turia Pitt, a 29-year-old ultramarathon runner, published author and motivational speaker, who was told less than three years ago that she had only the slimmest chance of survival after she suffered severe burns in a bushfire.
Turia was running a 100km ultramarathon in Western Australia when she was surrounded by the fire and suffered burns to 65% of her body as a result. After more than 100 surgeries and 864 days in the hospital, Turia was released and had to start with the very basics, including learning how to walk again.
Suffice it to say, she defied the odds and isn't letting anything get in the way of living her life to the fullest. In the past six months alone, she has participated in a bike ride from Sydney to Uluru (over 1700 miles), she swam a 12-mile race AND walked the Great Wall of China.
"Being on the cover of The Australian Women's Weekly is a huge honor...I feel very humbled," she said. "For me, it sends the message that confidence equals beauty. There are a lot of women out there who are so beautiful but don't have the confidence, and that's what gets you over the line."
The issue just went on sale today, but the cover has already gone viral and people from all over the world are taking to social media to praise the magazine for this incredibly inspiring issue.