Finding My Feet: My Story

‘In nothingness, there are only the heartbeats of hope. I vow to myself that I will clamber out of this hole. I will find my feet and flourish.’

At 19, Hanny Allston faces a ‘perfect storm’. Her father is terrifyingly ill. Besides his hospital bed, she teeters painfully on crutches after surgery that could end her sporting career. Her future in medicine is in peril because the university cannot defer her studies.

From these depths, Hanny rises, step by step. Knocked back by further tragic losses and a relationship with a false friend―Anorexia―she continues to strive to find her feet.

Despite the times of struggle, Hanny’s story glows. The idyllic, unconventional childhood on a small organic farm in Tasmania. The pre-dawn chlorine fumes of swim squad before school. The spirited beauty of wilder adventures with her parents and older brother.

The rapid rise to athletic stardom. She becomes the first and only non-European World Champion in orienteering, and flirts with her potential for the Olympic marathon. The call Hanny eventually answers, however, is wilder. She becomes a champion ultra-distance trail runner, and a coach to others who seek the wild potential inside themselves. My Feet is a luminous story of hope, determination and possibility. Hanny Allston shares her life with courageous honesty. Her goal is that her playful spirit and rise above adversity can inspire you, too, to find your feet.

About the Author

Hanny Allston is a peak performance coach with a heritage in assisting trail and ultra-distance runners to reach the pinnacle of their potential. She is an author, keynote speaker and host of The Find Your Feet Podcast where she shares the voices that need to be heard. She was 2006 World Orienteering Champion and is a past winner of both the Melbourne and New Zealand Marathon Championships. She is the current race record holder for multiple road, trail and ultra-running events, and has achieved many of the fastest known times on remote trails. She is truly a creature of the wild, and Hanny’s feet are at their happiest in a pair of muddy trail shoes … exploring.