TILSA COLLINGS
Can you explain when you started running? And why? What do you love about it?
I ran as a kid at school but gave it up when I was a teenager. It wasn’t until around 2010 when myself and a girlfriend were doing some personal training and the trainer added running to our program that I found the love for it again. We kept the running up and completed the Blackmores Half Marathon (which was my first) in 2012. It is the feeling of finishing a run like that, in fact all of my runs, which is what I love about it.
What gets you out of bed to train every morning?
That’s a simple one. I made myself a promise to never give up…so out of bed I get. 🙂
What’s your greatest achievement to date? and why?
Besides giving birth to my now 22 year old son, and marrying my husband, it would have to be running my first ultra-marathon, the Ned Kelly Chase @ 50kms in October 2018. Why, It was huge and being told when I was 15 i shouldn’t run (due to a injuries in a car accident) every distance is amazing..
How do you stay motivated?
I get a real buzz out of helping others, but also setting new goals and working towards them. Plus, having a coach I’ve got to answer to also helps!!
How do you train in COVID-19 lockdown conditions?
Back then, like everyone lockdown was difficult. It was helpful to be able to run with a close friend…maintaining appropriate social distancing of course. We did also continue Runners Boutique Run Club, where we would all run at the same time but in different locations. I would FaceTime them all throughout the run to check in and see how they are. Which was great fun but did present its fair share of challenges trying to take selfies and run at the same time!!
What are your greatest physical/mental challenges?
Injuries and Illness
What is your background?
Born and bred in eastern Melbourne, I completed high school and worked largely in retail. Until I finally joined the Navy, a dream….(option Discharge due injury sustained in car accident when I was 15 ) I had a career change in 2000, when I completed a Diploma in Remedial Massage Therapy. Since then I have operated my own massage therapy business, along with opening Runners Boutique in January 2018.
How has exercise changed you mentally/physically?
There is no doubt that I am fitter physically for my running and getting out on my feet helps clear my mind and stay mentally fresh.
Talk about Runners Boutique and Run Club? Why did you start it?
I was running a fair bit by 2015 and getting to know more about not just the ‘equipment’ required to run successfully, but more the value to my running and my body of using good quality ‘equipment’. I found it frustrating that there was no specialised running store in the Southern Highlands and that I had to travel quite some distance to get what I needed. I suspect that all of the runners in the area felt the same. So I thought “let’s have a crack, and open a specialty store for runners”. I’m not big myself on purely online shopping, and I wanted to provide that experience for others. Hence Runners Boutique, the Candy Store for Runners was born. Regarding Runners Boutique Run Club, I had been running in a run club in Moss Vale for some years, over which time I became partners in the business. In mid-2018 I took over the business and re-branded it Runners Boutique Run Club.
How were you affected with injuries and illnesses?
I’ve spent way too long crying over my injuries (mostly from Basketball) and illnesses. I now have a good collection of moon-boots, crutches, braces etc. Each time however that I have been injured, I have learnt more about myself, and especially I have learnt that being able to run as I do is a privilege and not to be taken for granted. Each set-back makes me hungrier to achieve that next goal.
What is your outlook on exercise/performance /physical shape now compared to 10-20 years ago?
I’ve always been conscious of being fit and healthy, and back in my earlier years, it was not necessarily for the right reasons. Having a son changed that, and I wanted to be the right role model and live a healthy and exercise full life.
What is important in terms of the sports bra you wear?
For many years I just wore any sports bra that provided support. I didn’t consider other things. This often resulted in sore shoulders and ribs. When I came across Sixty4 Bras at the Blackmores Expo in 2012, I discovered that not only could I have support, but that it was also possible to have comfort. I haven’t looked back from that day and wear the Sixty4 wirefree bra for all of my running and other exercise activities. The mix of support and comfort is most important to me.
