By Abbey Cannan
Natasha Price, elite adaptive athlete, Queensland state champion, international marathon winner and Gold Coast Woman of the Year 2020 finalist, will make history when she completes the Noosa Ultra-Trail on 25 March.
In what is believed to be a world-first for adaptive athletes, Natasha will complete a modified version of the 15km trail through the Tewantin National Park with her coach, Adam Sheppard.
Despite only being in its second year, the Noosa Ultra-Trail is on track to be the largest event of its kind in Queensland with more than 1500 participants expected to tackle the six distances this March.
Natasha, who said she’s been lucky to race all over the world, visited the course on Monday 6 February to inspect the terrain ahead of the main event on Saturday 25 March.
“When Nick and his team contacted me about taking park in Noosa Ultra-Trail I didn’t hesitate,“ she said.
“I’m always looking for ways to challenge myself physically and mentally, so this ticks that box big time. And the fact we get to race in such a beautiful part of the world – who could say no to that?”
The state champion said she’s been training for four hours a day in preparation for the event.
“I’ve been doing two hours in the gym doing strength training and also in my racing wheelchair out on the road,“ she said.
“I’ve been in a chair since 2008 due to a rare disease that hit me overnight, so I’m quite experienced at wheelchair use now.
“Come along and see what we’re doing here. It’s all about getting everybody involved.“
Natasha and her coach, Adam Sheppard, will complete a modified version of The Forest 15, a 15km trail that will take them through some of Noosa’s iconic parks and forests.
Adam said he hoped more event planners would ensure people of all abilities were included in similar events in the future.
“I think other wheelchair users probably haven’t taken part in events like this before because of accessibility concerns,“ he said.
“I’m certainly not afraid to give things a go and I guess pave the way [if] need be. This is a great opportunity to do that and show other wheelchair users what is out there and now available for them to do.
“There’s a lot of people out there that maybe prior to being in a wheelchair have done things like this on dirt bikes and quad bikes and now the opportunity is there for them to get out in their wheelchairs and do a similar thing.“
With a looped course in Tewantin Forest Reserve the course is 63 per cent trail/soft surface and 37 per cent paved surface.
Event director Nick Stewart created the Noosa Ultra-Trail to showcase the beautiful Hinterland region of Noosa while giving the trail running community a chance to compete in one of the most biodiverse places in the world – Noosa.
With the growing popularity of trail running around the globe and Noosa being a world class tourist destination creating an event of global significance was a great opportunity.
“It’s hard to believe that our event is only 12 months old and that in our second year we are expecting to be one of the most popular trail running events in Australia,“ Nick said.
“Last year we had 1100 participants, and with the support of Tourism and Events Queensland, Noosa Council and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service we anticipate that number will grow to 2000 in 2024.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Natasha and Adam tackle The Forest 15 and help us spotlight the potential accessibility of trails to people of all abilities.“
Deputy Mayor of Noosa and event participant, Frank Wilkie welcomed Natasha and Adam to the shire.
“It’s a privilege to welcome an adaptive athlete of Natasha’s calibre to Noosa at the start of 2023 which is the Year of Accessible Tourism in Queensland,“ Cr Wilkie said.
“With $12m in Government programs available and the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics on the horizon, we look forward to vastly improved experiences for people with disability and accessibility issues.“
Cr Wilkie said he ran the 25km last year with Nick in training.
“I have entered an event this year and I will be doing my best to reach the finish line,“ he said.
Noosa Ultra-Trail is one of the premier events on Australia’s trail running calendar, taking place from 23-26 March.
In 2023, the Festival will offer six different distance options for runners including 15km, 25km, 30km, 50km, 80km and the ultimate, 100km event.
Participants can also enjoy a fantastic range of lifestyle activities across the weekend, including pre-race runs with elite athletes, yoga and the Women in Sport Luncheon.
Noosa Ultra-Trail is a UTMB INDEX event and the perfect opportunity for anyone to challenge themselves to achieve something extraordinary.
