Amber Keegan's journey from competitive pool swimmer to marathon open water athlete reveals how overcoming an eating disorder ultimately led to a greater purpose. Despite missing her Olympic dream, Amber found meaning in founding Athlete Interactions, a non-profit creating safe spaces for female athletes struggling with mental health challenges. “I realised that the journey is everything," she reflects. “While I absolutely didn't feel it at the time, I see now that the path I took led me to something even bigger than Paris: making sure that no other female athlete feels as alone as I once did.”

“My journey started when I was about 40. We were living in Durban, in South Africa, and I was heavily into the gym,” Fiona explains. When a friend suggested she run the Two Oceans Half Marathon in Cape Town before attending a wedding, a personal trainer said it would be “a bit harder than running 10k on the treadmill.” That comment made her want to train for the race. “I left the gym, bought a Runner’s World magazine, and thought, ‘Well, I’ll show you.’ Being told I couldn’t do it really motivated me.” Since then, Fiona has found that the mental side of running is key. “I actually think that’s more important than the physical, because the body can do it.”