Letter from the Editor’s Desk

Welcome to the first online edition of Ultramag, AURA’s premiere magazine packed with news and stories about events, members, records, rankings and so much more.

To be a part of AURA’s movement into a digital space is an absolute honour, and as the new editor and marketing officer, I am delighted to be entrusted with a magazine that has broken so much ground in years gone past.

Ultramag is a publication that stands for something. As runners, we embrace the idea that we can push ourselves further beyond the limits of our physical and mental abilities, and we believe that our higher goals of achieving what so few people accomplish on this planet reflect and embody what humanity is all about – that when we set out to challenge our own selves, we defy the odds and exhibit the best of Australian sportsmanship.

We want Ultramag to be entertaining and informative, at times contrary, but above all useful. In essence, I aspire the people behind the stories to inspire you, and I want to provide the how-tos and resources so that your own vision, goals and dreams become attainable to you in your own unique way.

As an AURA member, this website and its contents are for you.

It’s for those who harness their strengths and talents in themselves and others for positive change and have the capacity to connect with every person within these pages.

I have been a newspaper journalist and subeditor for over a decade, and the most uplifting interviews have always come from the running community – from Pat Farmer who in 2011 ran 21,000kms from the North Pole to the South Pole, to marathon legend Steve Moneghetti; from WA’s second-ever man to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Mark Sheen, to Paralympian Brant Garvey.

As a writer, scouring the region for original stories and genuine human connections has been a firm objective, and to be a part of AURA and its highly-esteemed Ultramag is in itself an opportunity for me to reflect on the magnitude of what I see when I am running on the trails, roads, and tracks. On a personal level, I have been incredibly fortunate to get to know some of the most amazing people within our running community, who offer not only genuine friendships, but also honest and pure advice when it comes to helping me achieve my running goals.

I look forward to bringing you Ultramag editions that are extraordinary, authentic and insightful; something we can take beyond the pages of a print magazine.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for connecting with Ultramag.

I want and will welcome all of your feedback and input, so that we can make it the very best that it can be.