Newsletter

Achilles Adelaide Newsletter

Next Training – 5 September

Location: Glenelg Rotunda
Meet from 8.45am for a 9:00am start
Session led by Justine

Includes our first transportation trial, guide training and monthly social coffee catch up

RSVP HERE: Helps us pair guides and athletes smoothly. You can update your plans later if needed – just message us or redo the form.

Achilles Adelaide 2026 Membership is now up – Please follow the link to register. Achilles Adelaide 2026 Membership Registration

What’s next:

• City Bay – 20 Sept (Achilles organised)
• Fundraising to send Achilles Adelaide Athletes to attend 2027 Australian Masters Athletics Championships in Perth. You can donate here.

This Months Upcoming Activity

Saturday 12 September – Regular training – led by Katherine

Saturday 19 September – Regular training – led by Justine

Sunday 20 September – City – Bay

Sunday 26 September – Regular training – led by Justine

Next Months Upcoming Activity

Saturday 3 October – Long Weekend Park Run Fun – Carisbrooke Park Run

Saturday 10 October – Second transport trial, monthly Coffee and Guide Training led by Justine

Saturday 17 October – Regular training – led by ????

Saturday 24 October – Regular training – led by ????

Saturday 31 October – Regular training – led by Justine

🏅 Achilles Adelaide – Member Spotlight (Anna Pearce and Bruna Lanzoni) – September 2026

Featuring: Anna Pearce

As Achilles Adelaide continues to grow, we have realised that featuring just one member each month would mean some of our amazing people waiting years for their turn. So each month our Member Spotlight shines on more than one person. This September we are featuring Bruna Lanzoni and Anna Pearce.

Meet Anna

Anna Pearce is one of those quietly extraordinary people who lets her actions do most of the talking.

On the trails, on the road, and at Achilles Adelaide sessions, Anna is known for her speed, strength and consistency. Across 2025 alone she won her category at race after race in South Australia — on fast, flat courses and on rugged trail.

Yet what truly sets Anna apart is not her pace. It is her commitment to others.

Anna is one of our most dedicated guides. She shows up. She commits. She leads with calm confidence. In August 2025 she guided an Achilles athlete through the Sydney Marathon — an experience that reflects both her athletic capability and her generosity.

Outside of running, Anna is a proud wife and mum to a beautiful daughter, Evelyn. Family is clearly at the heart of everything she does. She was born in South Africa to Polish parents and later made her home in Australia — a journey shaped by courage, resilience and an unshakeable sense of gratitude.

A Story of Strength

Anna’s story is one of remarkable resilience. Many years ago in South Africa, she survived a traumatic attack that left her with serious injuries. It is part of her story not because of what was taken, but because of everything she has reclaimed since.

In her own words:

“I had started my career as a physiotherapist in January 2008, with my first year of work in a very remote area of South Africa called the Transkei. I was 22 years old at the time, and excited to provide care for a community in need. Unfortunately I was involved in an attempted car hijacking on my first weekend there. I managed to drive away from the attackers, but was stabbed once in the chest while doing so.”

“What followed was a series of miracles that ultimately saved my life. I was stabilised at a local hospital before undergoing a gruelling three-hour ambulance ride to the closest tertiary public hospital, where I was met by a team of surgeons and underwent major lifesaving surgery. It was in my first days of recovery in the ICU that I decided that those men, and their impact on my life, ended the moment I managed to drive away from them. My family, friends and church community were pivotal in my healing.”

The recovery was not simple. Anna struggled with physical pain and repeated chest infections, and for a time she feared she might never be active again.

But in 2010 she was strong enough to return to horse riding. In 2012 she signed up for her first half marathon. And in 2014 — six years after the attack — she ran her first marathon, and has not looked back since.

“Running is incredibly empowering — I am able to do more than I genuinely thought I was capable of. It’s part of my ‘why’ I run, because I thought it was something that was taken from me. But it actually never was.”

Sporting Life

It is hard to overstate how consistently Anna performs. Race records show her finishing first in her category across an extraordinary range of distances through 2025 — from a five-kilometre road race to a 42-kilometre mountain trail:

• Belair Marathon, SA — 1st woman, 5 km, 22:12 (March 2025)
• Boston Marathon — 3:18:13 (April 2025)
• Pichi Richi Marathon — women’s winner in 3:32:24 (June 2025)
• Ultra Adelaide — 1st woman, 21 km, 1:36:48 (July 2025)
• Yurrebilla Ultra Trail — 1st woman, 13 km, 1:25:08 (September 2025)
• Heysen Trail Ultra, SA — 1st woman, 42 km, 4:35:25 (October 2025)

But Anna’s own proudest moments span continents and years. Her favourite trail achievement remains the 2017 Race to the Stones 100 km, a race that follows the historic Ridgeway in the United Kingdom.

“The day unfolded so well. I smiled from start to finish and felt super controlled throughout. I managed to finish as 8th female, in a time of 11 hours 18.”

On the road, her standout is a hard-won marathon personal best set at the 2024 Adelaide Marathon — postpartum, and eight years in the making, having previously set her best at the 2016 Berlin Marathon. The marathon, with all its “extreme highs and lows”, is her favourite distance.

Her most memorable win captures exactly who she is:

“One of my highlights from 2025 was winning the Pichi Richi Marathon. I had my husband, daughter and our family dog waiting at the finish for me!”

Not every race goes to plan, and Anna is candid about the ones that test you. She points to the 2016 Ultra Trail Australia 100 km in the Blue Mountains, run while battling a sinus infection — “too stubborn to pull out”, pushing through a long day on tough but beautiful trails.

Running first became important to Anna in 2012, when she trained for the Two Oceans Half Marathon in her home city of Cape Town.

“Not only is the race an iconic one on the South African running calendar, but completing it was incredibly important in my personal healing journey. It showed me that I was capable.”

Ask her what draws her to the trails and the answer comes easily — “we are so spoilt for trails in South Australia” — and their beauty always pulls her in over the roads.

And what does racing give her beyond the medal?

“Racing gives you a chance to set a goal, push beyond your comfort, and accomplish something that you maybe thought was once out of reach.”

Guiding and Community

In August 2025, Anna guided an athlete at the Sydney Marathon — a major commitment requiring preparation, trust and teamwork. For Anna, guiding is a genuine privilege.

“It’s the privilege of running for something beyond yourself. I can’t put into words what it means to support someone else in their own running goals — and to have their trust (and patience!) in your abilities to support them during a given training run or race.”

She describes guiding as pure joy, and as a corrective to the inevitable self-focus of racing for yourself.

“Racing towards your own goals can often feel a little selfish. Guide running shows you that there is so much more to it — that community is always more important than any racing achievement.”

And what has she learned from the athletes she guides?

“That succeeding is not a race time. That we are truly capable, beyond the barriers that may present. And that bravery and strength may look slightly different for each one of us.”

Work and Professional Life

By profession, Anna is a physiotherapist, working in an acute geriatric medical ward with some very complex patient presentations. What she loves about the work is supporting patients and their families toward function, independence and pain-free movement.

She sees clear parallels between her professional life and endurance sport.

“Change or outcome is not always immediate. A small amount of progress is still progress. Progression may not always be linear.”

There is also a lesser-known chapter to Anna’s career. She has further qualified as a veterinary physiotherapist and runs her own practice assessing and treating four-legged patients — a niche area of physiotherapy for animals that she calls her professional passion.

Growing Up and Family

Anna grew up in Cape Town, a city built for the outdoors, where beyond school she took part in as many sports as possible — athletics and cross country, and horse riding, a passion since a young age.

Both her parents are Polish. Anna and her sister were born in South Africa after their mum and dad bravely left Poland during the depths of Communism, an era of severe hardship and censorship. Today the family is spread across the world — her sister in the UK, her mum in Poland, her dad in Cape Town — and the distance can be really tough at times.

Her husband, Michael, is Australian. They met around a campfire in Mongu, Zambia, in July 2005, both there with their churches — he building part of a house at basecamp, she part of medical and school outreach teams. They swapped email addresses, and a friendship grew. By 2012 they were travelling Thailand together, and it was after that trip that Anna knew he was her life partner. Michael moved to Cape Town in mid-2013, and they became engaged a few months later in Croatia.

Their daughter, Evelyn, is now seven — “although some days it feels like she is going on 18!” Evelyn was born in Bristol, in the United Kingdom, while Anna and Michael were living and working there between 2016 and 2019, a period during which Anna also completed her Masters.

Family, Anna says, is woven right through her running.

“I do love showing my daughter just how strong we can be when we set our minds on a specific goal. I’m really lucky to have my husband, who selflessly ‘holds the fort’ to allow me the time to do my long training runs and races. Seeing both him and my daughter at the finish line of a race is so special.”

As for balance, Anna is refreshingly honest: “I don’t think I have quite mastered this!” She thinks of running as seasonal, setting only one or two big goals a year to leave space for the things that matter more.

Life Beyond Running

Anna has travelled widely — 37 countries and counting — but her favourite destination is unashamedly home: Cape Town, South Africa, with Croatia, Malta and New Zealand close behind. Next on her travel list are Japan and more of the Pacific islands, and her dream race is the New York Marathon, for the atmosphere and the sights.

A Few Quick Ones

Trails or road?

Trails — but a close second would be an international city road marathon, a great way to explore and see the sights.

Go-to post-run food or drink?

A Rokeby protein smoothie (banana, honey and cinnamon) or a ginger beer. Pre-2015, it would have been Coke — readily available after most running races in South Africa!

Pre-race ritual?

I always plait my hair on race morning — a quiet moment to reflect on my ‘why’, and a nod to my daughter, who loves a plait in her own hair.

Someone you look up to?

Nelson Mandela — what he was able to do at a crucial time for my home country. To call a nation together, and to demonstrate a level of love and forgiveness that surpasses understanding.

What inspires you?

Individuals who carry stories of resilience, those who display acts of kindness, and those who quietly but confidently mentor those around them.

One word friends would use to describe you?

Driven.

Something most people don’t know about you?

That alongside human physiotherapy, I’m a qualified veterinary physiotherapist with my own practice treating four-legged patients.

2026 and Beyond

Anna’s goals for the year are characteristically ambitious and grounded all at once:

• A new marathon personal best — the goal is sub-3:10.
• A return to her first passion, horse riding — she’s currently saving toward a horse of her own.
• To keep soaking up all that the Achilles community has to offer, and to keep learning from its athletes, both in running and in life.

On the racing calendar, Anna held entries to both the Sydney and Chicago marathons this year, planning to race one and have fun during the other, with that order, she said, “yet to be determined”.

She lined up at the Sydney Marathon on 30 August, just days before this profile was published, with Chicago still ahead of her in October.

And she is eyeing something entirely new: a “backyard” ultra, the last-runner-standing format in which competitors must complete a 6.71 km loop every hour, on the hour, until only one runner remains to finish a final solo lap.

“I’m so keen to see how far I could push mentally and physically on minimal sleep and rest.”

Why Anna Matters

Anna reminds us that strength is not always loud. It is steady. It is disciplined. It is generous. She has faced adversity, rebuilt herself, and now uses her ability not just to win races — but to lift others along the way.

From a hospital bed in the Transkei to the finish line of a hundred-kilometre trail; from Cape Town to Bristol to Adelaide; from her own personal bests to running quietly alongside an Achilles athlete chasing theirs — Anna’s “why” has always been bigger than any single result.

We are incredibly proud to have Anna as part of the Achilles Adelaide family.

#AchillesAdelaide #MemberSpotlight #AchillesAthlete #RunGuide #TrailRunning #MarathonRunner #InclusiveSport #CommunityConnection #MovementForAll #SouthAustralia

🏅 Achilles Adelaide – Member Spotlight (Anna Pearce and Bruna Lanzoni) – September 2026

Featuring: Bruna Lanzoni

As Achilles Adelaide continues to grow, we have realised that featuring just one member each month would mean some of our amazing people waiting years for their turn. So each month our Member Spotlight shines on more than one person. This September we are featuring Bruna Lanzoni and Anna Pearce.

Meet Bruna

Some people have a way of making the people around them believe they can do more than they thought possible. Bruna Lanzoni is one of them.

Bruna discovered Achilles while running the Chicago Marathon in 2023. Inspired by the work Achilles was doing, she jumped at the opportunity to complete guide training through the South Australian Road Runners Club.

What began as curiosity quickly became something much bigger. She came along to one of the very first Achilles Adelaide training sessions — and she hasn’t looked back.

Today, Bruna is one of the familiar faces of Achilles Adelaide, generously giving her time, energy and running experience to athletes of all abilities and goals. She might spend one Saturday walking and chatting with a new athlete, and the next helping a marathoner chase an ambitious goal.

Whatever the pace, Bruna brings the same enthusiasm.

“I love being an enabler in every aspect of life, and that’s exactly what guiding allows me to do.”

For Bruna, guiding is about removing barriers. It is about giving an athlete the freedom to focus on their run or walk rather than everything happening around them.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the athletes. I’m only there to be their eyes.”

But anyone who has run with Bruna knows she is much more than that.

She listens. She encourages. She notices when someone has more in them. And she has a particular talent for knowing when to give an athlete that little extra push. Bruna loves the moment an athlete realises they are capable of more than they thought.

A runner in her own right

For someone who gives so much to other runners, it might be easy to forget that Bruna is an accomplished runner herself.

A proud member of the RunAsOne community, she has competed across road, trail and marathon events, including three World Major Marathons — Chicago, London and Sydney. She has won the women’s division at the Hills to Henley 30km and stood on the podium at major South Australian trail events.

Her favourite? Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko 50km.

But perhaps her most memorable running achievement came in Chicago. Having trained for a 3:10–3:20 marathon, Bruna found herself with the race of her life.

She finished in 3:04:10.

“I was so happy when I saw the ‘400m to go’ sign, looked at my watch and the time was so close to three hours!”

These days, however, Bruna is often more interested in helping someone else achieve their goal than talking about her own. She takes pride in pacing runners to their personal bests — including several occasions when she has paced precisely to the second.

A leap of faith or fate

Originally from Brazil, Bruna first came to Australia at just 19 after receiving a scholarship to study Marketing at the University of Adelaide. She had never even heard of Adelaide before choosing it as her destination.

And another life-changing discovery was waiting for her here. Soon after arriving, she met the person who would eventually become her partner. They added their much-loved dog George, who, much like Bruna, seems to have a knack for winning people over wherever he goes.

Bruna has built an impressive career in marketing, communications, advertising and media strategy. Today she works at Flinders University, helping connect future students with educational opportunities.

Her curiosity and love of learning extend well beyond her career. She has completed an MBA and speaks Portuguese and English, with a good understanding of Spanish despite describing her conversational Spanish as “very rusty”.

When she isn’t working, studying, running or guiding, you will often find her experimenting in the kitchen.

“Baking!! This is a dangerous hobby haha.”

Perhaps it is this combination of curiosity, energy and willingness to try something new that best explains Bruna.

She loves movement because, to her, running means freedom. Since joining Achilles, that freedom has taken on a different meaning.

Bruna has become increasingly aware of the barriers that sighted people might never notice, and it’s made her even more determined to help remove those barriers wherever she can.

Ask Bruna what she loves most about Achilles and her answer is simple.

“I enjoy how everyone is supportive, welcoming and warm. I love my Saturday mornings with the group and definitely leave energised because I always learn something new.”

Questions and Personal Reflections

Finding Achilles

How did you first hear about Achilles Adelaide and what made you decide to come along?

I first discovered Achilles at the Chicago Marathon in 2023 and was inspired by the incredible work they were doing. When the opportunity to complete guide training through SARRC came along, it was an easy decision. I jumped at the chance, and the rest is history.

What was your first Achilles Adelaide session like?

It was exciting, but if I’m honest, I didn’t fully understand just how important the role of a guide is until I started guiding myself. Being trusted to be someone else’s eyes is an enormous responsibility.

I was fortunate to be paired with Warren, who I now consider a dear friend. If I’m a trusted guide today, I owe a great deal of that to him. His trust and friendship taught me what it really means to guide someone with confidence and care.

On guiding

You have guided athletes ranging from walkers through to marathon runners. What do you enjoy most about guiding?

I love being an enabler in every aspect of life, and that’s exactly what guiding allows me to do. For VI athletes, simply being able to remove some of the barriers they face means they can enjoy an hour with more freedom, and the chance to focus on their run or walk rather than everything happening around them. That’s the most rewarding part for me.

The time I spend with Achilles isn’t about me, it’s about the athlete and helping them achieve their goals. Nothing makes me happier than hearing an athlete mention they’ve achieved a milestone while we’ve been guiding together. Whether it’s their first sub-six-minute kilometre in years, a new personal best, completing a distance they’ve never attempted before, or simply feeling stronger and more confident, every achievement is worth celebrating.

I try to be the kind of guide who understands where an athlete is today, listens to what they believe they can achieve, and recognises what they’re truly capable of. More often than not, they underestimate themselves. If I can help them believe in their own potential, and give them that little extra nudge to reach it, then I’ve done my job.

You seem able to guide absolutely anyone, regardless of pace. What’s the secret?

It’s not about me, it’s about the athletes. I’m only there to be their eyes (and push them a bit when I see the opportunity).

What has surprised you most about the blind and low vision community?

It might sound generic, but it’s their resilience. The world is designed for sighted people, and I’ve become more aware of things that are so “little” or that we wouldn’t even notice, but make such a difference to them. From orientation dots on remote controls, tactile paving, and even making a website fully accessible and a positive experience, these are things that have become my interest. Especially the technological side of things, given my work in Customer Experience.

Running and movement

What do movement and running mean to you personally?

It means freedom. Running is such a low-maintenance sport (apart from races and shoes, haha). I love how easy it is to just put your shoes on, step out of the house and go for a 30-minute run. Since joining Achilles, I’ve come to value these micro-moments even more because I’m fully able to go for a run whenever I want. It has also made it my mission to facilitate running and remove some of these barriers for our athletes. That’s why I’m always accommodating. It doesn’t cost me much, but it can make the difference between an athlete being able to run or walk or not.

What has been your proudest running achievement so far?

It has been a while since it happened, but I still talk about my Chicago marathon achievement. I had trained to run a 3:10 – 3:20 marathon, but the stars aligned and I finished it in 3:04:10 – I was so happy when I saw the “400m to go” sign, looked at my watch and the time was so close to 3 hours!

Achilles memories

What has been your favourite Achilles Adelaide memory so far?

The first time I guided at a race. It was such an adrenaline-filled experience! Alongside Sonia, we guided Warren at the Adelaide Marathon Festival 2025, where he achieved a half marathon PB. It was a busy course, full of athletes, and we had to use all our hands and vocal cords to create space and ensure Warren could navigate safely. We finished the race in a brilliant time, and it was just his first of many achievements over the last year.

Last year’s Adelaide Marathon was indeed special, but I’ve had some other moments with athletes that I think are worth mentioning:

• Being part of athletes’ milestones – some that I can remember: the time Simon proudly said he had run a sub-6 min/km for the first time in a while; Ricky’s 10km PB on a Saturday training, followed by a subsequent 10km PB at Adelaide Marathon Festival 2026; Pelgrina’s then 5km PB at the Masters Athletics (which she has now beaten again!)
• Getting Johnny to hold onto his tempo goal pace on Wednesday mornings. It’s always fun!
• The numerous chats and life lessons from everyone

What do you enjoy most about the Achilles Adelaide community?

I enjoy how everyone is supportive, welcoming and warm. I love my Saturday mornings with the group and definitely leave energised because I always learn something new.

If you could help one Achilles athlete achieve a dream goal, what would it be and why?

If someone can sell me on the idea, I’m usually up for anything! I love working together towards a common goal, and if I’m available, I’ll always be happy to lend a hand and be part of the journey.

From Brazil to Adelaide

You moved from Brazil to Australia. What has that journey been like?

I first came to Australia when I was 19, after being awarded a scholarship to study Marketing at the University of Adelaide for one year. Choosing Adelaide was a bit of a fluke, I had never even heard of the city before!

As part of the application process, I had to choose between Australian universities from the Group of Eight or a select group of Canadian universities. The entry requirements for Australia were more competitive, and with my strong academic results, I decided to explore that option further. Adelaide stood out because of its more affordable cost of living, so I made the choice to come here.

Once I arrived in Adelaide, I met the person who would eventually become my partner, and the rest is history. After many trips back and forth between Brazil and Australia, I eventually made Adelaide my home for good.

How many languages do you speak and do you have a favourite phrase from home?

Portuguese and English. My Spanish is very rusty. I stopped studying the language about 10 years ago. While I can still understand it very well, I can no longer hold a conversation.

One fun fact is that, although I can’t speak it, I can also understand some of the Venetian dialect, an Italian dialect that was my grandparents’ first language. I come from a region in southern Brazil with a strong Italian immigrant heritage, where many families kept their traditions and language alive at home. While I never formally learned to speak Venetian, I grew up surrounded by older relatives and friends speaking it, so I can still understand bits and pieces of the dialect.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working, studying, running or guiding?

Baking!! This is a dangerous hobby haha but I love trying different recipes, experimenting with ingredients and techniques.

Quick Strides with Bruna

Favourite place in Adelaide?

There are so many places I love here but Belair National Park is one of my favourite. The nature, the trail, the hills… I love it.

Favourite Brazilian food?

A cassava flour and cheese bread called “Pão de Queijo”.

Favourite Australian food?

I love TimTams!

Favourite travel destination?

Banff, in Canada.

Beach or hills?

Hills. Always.

Early start or sleep in?

Well, I’m quite an early riser for a Brazilian, but Aussies would say that I like to sleep in.

Walk and chat or headphones and focus?

I can’t say no to a chat, but if I’m by myself, headphones are a must!

Favourite podcast, music or running playlist?

The nerd will show her true colours now! I like concept albums, especially progressive metal ones. Shoes on, headphones in and running to the length of these albums, focused on one story only. My all-time favourite is Scenes from a Memory, Dream Theater. But I can give you a list of great ones.

What is harder — completing an MBA or running a marathon?

Completing an MBA. The time and financial commitment is much greater!

Final Word

Bruna is one of those people who quietly makes everyone around her better.

From our very first training sessions through to the thriving community we have today, Bruna has been there every step of the way.

She is one of the quiet forces behind Achilles Adelaide’s success and the kind of person every community hopes to have.

Whether she is guiding a first-time athlete, chasing a marathon goal, volunteering at an event or sharing a coffee after training, Bruna represents everything Achilles Adelaide hopes to be – inclusive, supportive, ambitious and community-focused.

Bruna, we are incredibly grateful to have you as part of the Achilles Adelaide family.

And if anyone has a big goal they’d like to chase, there is a very good chance Bruna will be there beside you — eyes forward, ready to help you discover just how far you can go. #AchillesAdelaide #MemberSpotlight #BrunaLanzoni #InclusiveRunning #VolunteerGuide #BlindAndLowVision #AchillesFamily #GuideRunning

Images – 1. Kirrily and Tony coming back from a windy, rainy training session. 2. Tony and Karyn HW coming back from training. 3. Helene and Tony at park run with Serin running in the opposite way in the background. 4. Georgie and Tony walking along the foreshore at Glenelg with the sea in the background. 5. Cassie, Emma, Georgie and Tony walking along the foreshore at Glenelg