With the help of two treadmills, avocado and cheese burritos and a team of supporters, Emma-Leigh Heighway plans to break a world record this weekend.
The 32-year-old gym manager plans to travel the furthest distance on a treadmill in 48 hours by a woman while raising funds for RU OK? and awareness about Trigeminal Neuralgia - a debilitating and rare chronic condition she suffers from.
She'll attempt the feat at Anytime Fitness Newcastle West from 7am Saturday.
To beat the record, which is 322.93 kilometres, Ms Heighway plans to take just three 20 minute naps.
"I have two kids so I'm pretty used to not sleeping," she said.
Ms Heighway was training for 100 mile and 100 kilometre races, but COVID-19 put the kibosh on that. Her gym also usually holds an annual 24 hour treadmill event for RU OK?, so she decided to do the solo 48-hour challenge while raising money for the mental health charity.
But long distance running has also been healing for Ms Heighway.
In 2014, she was suffering from facial pain that she believed was caused by wisdom teeth. After having them removed, the pain became progressively worse.
I got used to being in pain, so ultramarathons became my superpower.
Emma-Leigh Heighway
At the end of 2015, she was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia or TN. She also found out she suffered from central desensitisation.
"When you hear about someone in Afghanistan having their leg blown off, but they keep fighting - that's kind of what happens," Ms Heighway said. "The body shuts off feeling to stop pain."
The left hand side of her body shut down. She couldn't walk, was put on heavy medication and suffered 40-50 attacks a day. Pregnancy and brain surgery helped stem the attacks, but she still suffers several a day.
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"An attack feels like an electric shock to the face," she said. "TN was previously known as the suicide disease as 50 per cent of people diagnosed with it with suicided in the first two years."
"It's really hard because no one can see it. It was horrible."
But Ms Heighway said running helped pull her out of the darkness of the disease.
"I got used to being in pain, so ultramarathons became my superpower."
To donate, visit give.everydayhero.com/au/48-hour-treadmill-challenge
