This week, we’re sharing Q&A’s with a 2025 Pilliga Ultra participant and a Pilliga local, Toryn. This was Toryn’s first Pilliga Ultra.
Toryn’s responses really highlight to the PU team just how valuable and special this event is – and makes us feel truly proud about what we have created, for fantastic, caring people like Toryn.
Let’s get into the interview!
Toryn Fae
To set the scene for our readers, can you please tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Toryn Fae, I’m 21 years old and a non-binary (they/them pronouns) person living at Pilliga pottery. I came down here from Brisbane to visit my mum for Christmas and fell in love with the place, moving in soon after.
You’ve spent hours out on the trails with Kerry, maintaining and clearing them. How did it feel seeing so many people come to explore and experience the trails that you helped make possible?
Working on the trails together with Kerry was a fantastic experience, and thus, watching people enjoy these trails was truly wonderful. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand the importance of erosion control mounds and step on them without realising, harming the trails. Taking the chance to walk these trails at a hiking pace would allow many to appreciate the trails more closely and understand the work put into them.
You participated in the 10k event on Friday afternoon, and took out 1st place and a course record, as our first non-binary participant. How did it feel to stand on the podium after your win?
When I started the race, I knew that I was in the non-binary division but didn’t quite understand what that meant. I ran my race at a relatively relaxed, yet still competitive pace with no plans on making a placement. When I finished and got my place on the podium, however, I felt proud. Not because of my placement (though that was definitely great for bragging rights), but instead, I was proud of being able to compete as I truly am.
Did having a non-binary division change or shape your experience of the event in any way?
The possibility of competing as a non-binary person was never a possibility in my mind until you told me that you had it. My heart swells with pride that I live in an era where my community has the opportunity to live as they truly are. I am so thankful of you for including us in this event even if I have been the only non-binary participant (so far). No matter what happened, I would have enjoyed the run, but the chance to compete as myself made it far, far better.
As someone who calls the Pilliga home, what does it mean to have an event like the Pilliga Ultra in your area?
Living in Pilliga Pottery, every day has something new to enjoy with events happening here and there. However, the Pilliga Ultra was truly something else. First of all, hosting the event right here at the pottery allowed myself and others to enjoy this vast landscape that I can proudly call my backyard. Second, but not any less, was the chance to run for a purpose so close to home. To be able to use this opportunity to stop the Narrabri Gas Project only made it all the more meaningful.
What moment, or part of the weekend, really stood out to you as something that you really enjoyed or appreciated, that you maybe hadn’t seen at an event before?
The largest thing that stood out to me on the weekend was the opportunity to run with dogs. A large part of my run was spent with Maddie (another volunteer here) who was running with Sunny, one of the local dogs. All three of us thoroughly enjoyed the event together (and I think Sunny definitely enjoyed first doggy place).
Has trail running fever taken over Pilliga Pottery now?! It certainly seemed like some people, such as Leon, Johan and yourself, really enjoyed participating – are you all already in training for next year?!
I wouldn’t say that ‘trail running fever’ has taken over the pottery, but the kids have definitely been reinvigorated in their love for sports of all types (especially soccer). I truly loved the opportunity to run with all of you and if I am here, I will definitely run again next time. Maybe I will invite some of my other non-binary friends to run with me in the next event.