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First up, briefly tell us a bit about yourself and what you do!

I am a two time Olympian. My sport is distance running- 5,000m and 10,000m on the track. I am Co-Founder of the Love Mercy Foundation which I started with fellow Olympic runner Julius Achon from Uganda. We seek to empower the poor in Northern Uganda through sustainable projects, allowing families and communities to create their own livelihood through farming, education and access to health care. I am a wife to Jonathan and a mum to 6 year old India with another baby on the way – due in November!

What time do you wake up most days and how many hours of sleep do you aim for?

When I’m in full training and racing mode, I wake up at around 6am and I aim for at least 8 hours sleep a night. I always try and have a nap between hard workouts when I’m training up to three times a day, I find just 20 mins of just putting my feet up even if I can’t sleep, helps a lot with energy levels for my evening training session. Now that I’m heavily pregnant and not training hard I’m still aiming for a similar amount of sleep but this can be tricky when it gets uncomfortable towards the end of pregnancy. To compensate for this, I try and not make my days so full so that if I don’t sleep much the night before, I can at least try and get some rest during the day.

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Describe a typical day of eating for you.

♥ Breakfast – porridge with honey and a banana, or if I’m about to go for a run I have two boiled eggs on sourdough with a cup of tea

♥ Morning tea – a handful of raw almonds and another piece of fruit and a plain Greek yoghurt

♥ Lunch – A sandwich with chicken and salad or a salad with rice, chicken and veggies

♥ Afternoon tea – A piece of toast with peanut butter or avocado or another banana cut up and dipped in cashew nut butter

♥ Dinner – Lean meat (steak or fish) with veggies and rice or potatoes. Or lately in this last trimester I’ve really been craving pasta and my husband makes a really good pesto pappadelle!

♥ Dessert – if I can fit it in is another plain Greek yogurt or some dark chocolate with a peppermint tea.

Lately I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep unless I have something to eat (common in the third trimester of pregnancy) so I’ll have a banana which usually does the trick.

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Do you take any supplements, vitamins or special wellness elixirs? If so, we’d love to know!

When I’m not pregnant and I’m in full training I will supplement my diet on a daily basis with energy booster Ubiquinol – it’s the active form of co-enzyme Q10, a powerful antioxidant, vital for healthy cells and responsible for the energy production of cells in our body. It helps my recovery and fights feelings of fatigue. Magnesium is also a great option for inflammation and achy muscles when you start getting back into exercise.

Another favourite supplement is Revvies energy strips for a fast, convenient and effective energy hit before hard workouts and races. Always trial new caffeine or nutritional products in training before using them in a race.

Do you have an evening wind-down ritual?

For relaxation at the end of the day my husband and I will binge on an easy watching Netflix series or read a good book. Right now on Netflix we’re watching The Letdown and Money Heist, and I’m reading ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates – an inspiring book about her journey of empowering women out of poverty in developing countries through her foundation. 

What are your top 3 wellness non-negotiables

♥ Eat mostly unprocessed foods

♥ Supplement diet with things I know will help my energy levels – Ubiquinol and magnesium. 

♥ Spend lots of time with people I love ? 

Your absolute favourite healthy cafe in NSW is?

I love Buck Hamblin cafe in Thirroul, a coastal town about 30 mins drive from where I live. Bucks have the best coffee on the south coast of Sydney and the most amazing menu – my favourite in the winter is the porridge with poached fruit and cinnamon and then in the summer-time I love the poached chicken salad with nuts, greens and grains for a healthy lunch.

Best place to get a green juice or smoothie in your city?

So Fresh Cronulla make the best fresh juices in Sydney. They also do antioxidant shots with turmeric and ginger to help reduce inflammation in the body.

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What’s your fitness routine & favourite way to get sweaty and where’s your go-to?

Obviously running! It’s so energising for me. I feel free when I run. I love running with a group of running mates and I love an occasional run on my own just to clear my head. The best thing I love about running is that you can run literally anywhere and it’s so time efficient for getting fit and feeling healthy in your body and your mind.

If you could only wear one brand of activewear for the rest of your life it would be…

Adidas is my go-to brand for active wear. I’ve worn a lot of different brands Over the last 20 years of my running career and Adidas’ quality is second to none. I still have my fave Adidas kits that I was wearing 10 years ago! I love the street wear vibes in their originals range too and for running and workout shoes the boost technology makes you feel like you are running on clouds!

What’s the one beauty or wellness treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

I love a facial from my friends at our local skin care spa called Beauty and Balance in Cronulla. I feel like a new woman when I leave and my skin looks and feels super refreshed and revitalised.

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What’s your dream wellness vacay?

I love Fiji for a revitalising holiday. There’s just something about the people, the culture and the slower pace of life that makes you feel immediately relaxed, even from the moment you land at the airport. No one ever seems hurried in Fiji and it’s so refreshing. We love to spend a week just in Denarau, I run on the golf course every morning and then come home for fresh coconuts and we’ll hit the pool or take a chartered boat out to cloudbreak where my husband likes to surf. Indi and I swim around jumping off the boat and have a picnic lunch whilst we watch ‘Daddy surf’. We’ll get back in time for a mid afternoon nap and then head to one of the amazing resort restaurants for dinner. There’s also the mud baths at the foot of one of the mountains that we like to frequent each time we go, you rub the volcanic mud all over your skin and then wash it off in the bath and it has an incredible cleansing affect, then you’ll be treated to a massage under the mango tree by the local massage therapists. Fiji is my all time most relaxing holiday!