INTENSIVE care rescue paramedic Emma Shawyer is preparing to swap the frontline for the finish line when she runs the New York Marathon in November.
The Singleton-based paramedic and mum of two was one of more than 120 first responders who applied to Fortem Australia - a not for profit organisation that supports the mental fitness and wellbeing of first responder families - for the chance to represent the country at the largest marathon in the world.
Fortem Australia chose Ms Shawyer, two policewomen and a fireman and will pay for their flights, accommodation and marathon entry.
Ms Shawyer, 32, said she had run a 50 kilometre ultra-marathon trail race, but never 42 kilometres on road.
"I've always done a little bit of running," Ms Shawyer said.
"I got into it after I had two traumatic births - my daughter almost died three times and when I had my second child, a son, I almost died, so six weeks later I went to run because I needed to change my mindset.
"I've loved the growth of my mental ability to run long distances and am proud to be a back of the pack runner - I will finish anything I put my mind to and I'm proud of that.
"I told Fortem 'I'm not a fast runner, I'm not going to be front of the pack, but I will finish the course and make you proud and I'll be proud'.
"I might have to walk part of it, but I'm not going to short change myself at all, I will enjoy every corner, spectator, drink station, volunteer, every little bit.
"Just to be a person, not a paramedic, not a mum, is the biggest thing I'm excited for."
Ms Shawyer said she felt "blessed" to have started a 15 week training program in which she could carve out time for herself.
"Yesterday I went for a 21 kilometre run when the kids were at school because I thought 'I have to run today, I don't have to do the cleaning at home, I just get to work on myself for a while'.
"First responders forget about this, we focus on overtime and clinical courses but we forget to break away."
Ms Shawyer said she joined the NSW Ambulance Service about a decade ago, driven by the desire to help others.
"I fell in love with it the first day I got the chance to be on road," she said.
"No two jobs are ever the same and you never know what you're going to get.
"I also love the level of autonomy when you get to the job, you get to choose the path of care - as rescue paramedics we specialise in solving problems and we do the jobs that other paramedics can't solve.
"We find patients in the most difficult situations and we bring them out. We've worked the floods, the bushfires, were at the front of the pandemic and we keep turning up every day."
Ms Shawyer leaves home at 5.30am for her 12 hour shift and said she tried to make the effort to exercise between 4am and 5am.
"We can make bad choices, whether it be food or laziness, and when we start making bad choices we contribute to building up our stress and it can lead to post traumatic stress disorder.
"I see it as a bucket filling up that you don't want to overflow. I've got a lot of years ahead of me, so if I can protect my health, the chance of my bucket filling up should be decreased."
She said she was "super proud" to be an ambassador and raise awareness for Fortrem Australia.
According to the organisation, more than half of the country's 360,000 first responders are deeply impacted by the traumas they face in the course of their duties.
Their families can also experience vicarious trauma.
It said one in three experience high psychological distress from trauma on the job. It said the first responder community has higher rates of psychological distress, higher rates of diagnosis for mental health conditions and higher rates of suicidal thinking and planning than the general adult population.
Fortem Australia offers clinical support, wellbeing activities such as surfing lessons, online resources and a transition and employment program.
Ms Shawyer said her preparation for the marathon was both an individual and team effort.
"You feel how strong you can be mentally when you're clocking off the kilometres and there is no on-else propelling you," she said.
"It can be a quiet world in your mind, but you're blessed to make it stronger every time you run."
She said she had asked experienced runners for advice and reassurance; received support from colleagues; and been asked to lead training runs.
She said she was looking forward to meeting the other first responders chosen for the marathon.
"I want to talk to the mums about how they're juggling shiftwork and being a mum and income and snacks and being chauffeurs," she said.
