Hanny Allston, an endurance runner, performance coach, entrepreneur, podcast host and author, describes herself as ‘a researcher by case studies’. 

The founding director of Find Your Feet Australia, an award-winning outdoor retail and international trail running experience with foundations in endurance coaching, has gained solid credentials in understanding human behaviour from a near 20-year career in personal and sports coaching.

Hanny is the keynote speaker at the 2023 Tasmanian Summer Breakfast and will share her views on how to manage personal, holistic wellbeing while in pursuit of the highest performance in her presentation ‘Deviating away from the mainstream—how to periodise “life” to maximise potential’.

‘We live in a culture where continuous improvement is frequently striven for and almost expected. However, how often do we pause and ask the all-important question ‘At what cost’? 

'The talk is about helping physiotherapists reflect on their own pursuits and provide another lens for patient care—there is a different pathway ‘Periodising’ can help, she says.

‘I think one of the biggest challenges that I see in allied health is people being able to stick to the advice that’s been given to them, such as doing exercises three or four times a week. 

'Often, it’s not that the person doesn’t have the willpower; it’s just that life gets fluid. 

'So, how can we help the patient recognise and understand what will work best for them in terms of finding and optimising their exercise, training and recovery? 

'A really important element that is often missing is helping people understand the purpose behind why they do what they do and helping them return to the underlying reason behind why they started in the first place—why they sought help, why they want to improve outcomes. 

'They should never lose sight of that, which is where values alignment comes in. 

Anything that you say “yes” to needs to always be in alignment with your purpose and the values that drive you.’

Hanny’s own purpose and values led her to pursuits across both business and sport.

to maximising potential; what is it? How can you rise above adversity and find your potential, find your feet?’

The ultra-distance runner and orienteer found her feet while recovering from what she describes as a ‘perfect storm hitting’ when she was 19 and studying medicine. 

A series of personal upheavals—a full ankle reconstruction, a severe family illness and a battle with her own health— meant that Hanny had to pause, reflect and identify other ways in which to rebuild her own health and, ultimately, return to study and running.

She did. 

Six months later, Hanny won both the Junior and Senior 2006 World Orienteering Championships and she is
still the only non-European and junior-aged athlete to achieve this feat. 

She graduated with a Bachelor of Health Science and Medical Research from the University of Tasmania in 2008 and then completed a postgraduate diploma in education at the University of Auckland. 

Further qualifications in health, life coaching, small business and company directorship followed in the next decade and Hanny has established herself as a sought-after motivational speaker, health educator, author, leader in regenerative tourism and peak performance and personal development coach. 

She also continued to perform at the highest international level for multiple endurance events (orienteering, marathon, ultra running and skyrunning), including a return to the podium at the World Orienteering Championships.

‘Running and business have helped me to foster a complete fascination with the science of coaching for peak potential through a holistic lens—what is it, how do we get there, how do we measure it and, perhaps most importantly, how can we sustain it without depleting our health, careers, relationships and long-term dreams?’

As an endurance athlete she achieved many ‘fastest known times’ and ‘firsts’, including crossing Tasmania’s 69-kilometre Western Arthurs Traverse solo in 10 hours, 30 minutes; completing the 82-kilometre Overland Track (also in Tasmania) in eight hours, 20 minutes; and running solo along the French Pyrenees mountain range (from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea), traversing a distance of more than 700 kilometres in 19 days.

‘It averaged out to running about 40 kilometres a day, with more than 30,000 vertical metres’ climb along the way.’

In business, she was Tasmania’s 2015 Telstra Young Businesswoman of the Year, an accolade that acknowledges her management of two successful businesses that launched in 2009—Find Your Feet Australia and Hanny Allston Peak Performance and Personal Development Coaching. 

Find Your Feet Australia was also named Tasmania’s Telstra Small and Succeeding Business of the Year in 2018 and Northern Tasmania Retail

Business of the Year in 2021 and 2022. 

Hanny is the youngest councillor appointed to the Tasmanian division of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has been the recreation tourism adviser for the Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council for seven years.

Hanny’s business and sporting acumen has been in demand. 

She has presented at hundreds of coaching and speaking engagements and has delivered more than 30,000 training planners to runners globally. 

Her memoir, Finding My Feet: My Story, was published in 2021, as was The Trail Running Guidebook, which provides coaching methodologies that focus on sustainable, long-term health, training and performance successes.

I think one of the biggest challenges that I see in allied health is people being able to stick to the advice that’s been given to them, such as doing exercises three or four times a week. HANNY ALLSTON

‘Like many people, over the years I have had to come back from injury, change career plans, pause a career for family [she is the mum of two young boys] and restart it. 

These experiences have given me a deep appreciation of what is needed to assist others to find optimal wellbeing, an understanding of what makes their toes tingle and a strategy to master their craft.

‘Everyone has their own life and within it are unique complexities. We each have our own purpose and values.

'Our role as professionals is to help our clients bring clarity to what can otherwise feel confusing and complex to them and to help them arrive at a place of peak performance, whatever that means for them. 

'We’re here to help people to find their feet and thrive.’

The Tasmanian Summer Breakfast will be held in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, on Friday 10 November, 7–9 am. Visit here for more information and to book.