Donna is an Australian ultra-marathon runner, pain scientist and physiotherapist.

In 2024, she set a World Record for the longest run in a polar region – running 1402km (871 miles) in Antarctica, the coldest, windiest and driest desert on earth.

Donna ran 50 kms (31 miles) per day for 28 days, enduring temperatures of -20°C (-4° F), winds of up to 80 km/hr (50 miles/hr) and poor visibility. To prepare for the attempt, she ran in a refrigerated shipping container, industrial wind tunnel and along sandy beaches for up to 6 hours at a time.

Donna and the Run Antarctica team used the World Record run to raise awareness about the important and ongoing need to educate and empower females to be active and involved in sport. The campaign reached 950 million people worldwide with over 1000 media publications and has led to the establishment of a not-for-profit organisation, EmpowerHer Sport.

Donna is currently based at Monash University in her position as an Associate Professor and pain scientist. Donna has worked in the field of pain for over 25 years, publishing 150 publications, securing national competitive funding across 2 decades and serving on international editorial and grant committees.

Donna is fascinated with understanding pain – how it works and how we can effectively treat it. She has a particular interest in investigating a holistic approach, including harnessing mental strategies, to manage pain and optimise wellbeing.

Donna lives with her family in Melbourne, Australia and they love spending time together playing, coaching and watching sport.

Language spoken: English.

Photo credit: Glenda Urquhart