On Sunday, Canberra's Lily Mackett will be facing her biggest physical challenge since she was hit by a speeding car in Dubai eight years ago.
Just 16 at the time and in Dubai with her family for her father's work, she was crossing the road when she was hit by the car travelling at 140kmh. She suffered multiple injuries including a severed spinal cord and traumatic brain injury and was in a coma for almost a month.
As her father Joff said: "In a second our lives were changed forever".
The prognosis at the time was dire - 90 per cent of people with her brain injury do not regain consciousness.
But Lily, now 25, did survive and has decided to take on her new world " with a vengeance".
"I was one of the lucky, or maybe determined, ones," she said.
"Despite being told I would have limited physical independence, I have worked tirelessly to gain strength and improve my mobility. My ultimate goal is to be ready to embrace new medical and technological advancements that will help me walk again."
The family, including mum Annette Maunsell, now lives in Gordon, focusing on Lily's continuing recovery - as well as helping others in several fundraisers
In her latest effort, throughout October, Lily has been raising funds for SpinalCure Australia, which is working to find a cure for spinal cord injury.
Lily's Virtual Marathon Madness is urging people to cover 42.2km across the month in any way they can - whether that's wheeling, walking, arm cranking, cycling or swimming. Some participants have cartwheeled or roller-skated to make up the distance.
One of Joff's workmates, Lachlan Rheinstein, has even come up with 31 ways to cover the distance over the month - from jumping in a potato sack to rollerblading to canoeing.
One of the highlights of the month happens on Sunday.
With Joff by her side today, Lily will be pushing herself in her wheelchair during segments of the 7 Bridges Walk in Sydney, a 28km loop across the harbour, suburbs and bushland.
It's a little daunting but she's going to give it her all.
"Lil's going to see over that distance, how much of it she can push herself," Joff said.
Her brain injury also resulted in reduced arm mobility. One of the ways she has worked to improve the mobility has been by knitting beanies, which she now sells at the Pearce Crafters Markets.
"The first beanie took me 18 months. Now I can get one done in a couple of hours," she said.
After the accident, Lily graduated from Saint Mary MacKillop College and has started a visual arts diploma at CIT.
Lily's Legs will raise money for Project Spark, SpinalCure's ground-breaking neurostimulation research collaboration with Neuroscience Research Australia
Walking again is the dream, but there are so many complications that Lily would love to live without, including bowel and bladder failure and dangerous blood pressure.
"It's not just to walk again, it's regain all the function that I've lost," Lily said.
- To get involved in Lily's Legs Fundraiser this October visit: https://lilyslegs.com/
