Ms Berrier is one of the many participants who will take part in the 2016 Dubbo Stampede later in August.

“I volunteered last year and I was watching everyone and I thought ‘there’s no way I can do that’. Then I signed up to the gym and my trainer was like ‘what’s the one thing you don’t think you can do?’ and I said I couldn't do the Stampede and he said ‘we’ll that’s your goal’.”

Knowing she did five kilometres at parkrun every week, as a challenge Ms Berrier decided to sign up for the Cheetah Chase.

“It’s one of those activities where you’re not relying on anything else, you’re not relying on anybody else, it’s just you and your feet. And it’s all a mental battle, your body will do whatever your head tells it to do,” Ms Berrier said. 

“I didn’t start running until probably November last year so haven’t been doing it for a really long time and I didn’t think that I would like running. I just ran for something and I kind of got hooked.”

Despite an ankle injury, the athlete said it was the mental challenge she was finding the toughest to overcome, especially when she had to learn to exercise without music.

“It’s a mental struggle, just in your own head, the self doubt and the belief that you can do it . All of the runners I have spoken to are like ‘it’s the hardest thing, your body will do anything, it’s all in your mind’,” she said. 

However, Ms Berrier said there was a great support network at parkrun.

“There’s a small group of ladies and we regularly check in with each other. We don’t battle against each other, we battle with ourselves, but we hold each other accountable,” she said.

To prepare, every week in the two months leading up to the Stampede, Ms Berrier said she had been adding an extra kilometre to her training.

“I’m nervous but I’m nervous going into every run. But the ultimate goal is just to finish it. I’m not running for a time or anything, I’m just running to finish it. So I feel good about that,” she said.