This surprise photo of herself was Julie Hoffmann’s wake-up call.
By Casey Neill
Right: Julie Hoffmann is determined to honour her niece’s memory by putting her body to the test and raising cash for HeartKids. 75995
Picture: Donna Oates
EMERALD’S Julie Hoffmann isn’t one to shy away from a challenge – even completing 1500 consecutive burpees to raise $18,000.
The 42-year-old mother of three set her sights on the gruelling physical test to mark what would have been her niece’s 18th birthday on 18 March.
Cockatoo teen Stacey Pye died in 2007 waiting for a heart transplant so ‘Hoffy’ vowed to support HeartKids, “to thank them on behalf of our family for their amazing support during Stacey’s illness”. And Hoffy’s Burpee Challenge was born.
“I want to make Stacey proud and honour her 18th birthday the best way I know how,” she said.
“She was the bravest little thing I have ever seen.
“She never complained, she just soldiered on and put up with so much.”
Ms Hoffmann will start in a squat position with her hands on the floor in front of her at noon on Saturday 14 April at Ferntree Gully Hotel.
From there, she’ll kick her feet back into a push up position, immediately return her feet to the squat, and leap as high as possible – 1500 times.
What makes the feat even more remarkable is that just over a year ago, Ms Hoffmann couldn’t even do one burpee.
When Stacey died, Ms Hoffmann slid into depression and gained 45 kilograms. She’d also recently lost her father and a close friend.
“I didn’t know how to cope and now when I look back obviously I didn’t cope,” she said.
“I always put on the happy face, tried to make sure everyone else was OK but I had put on so much weight and stopped going out, stopped socialising because it was all too hard.
“I’d stopped living and was just existing.”
But one day she came across a photograph in her phone of a woman she didn’t recognise.
“It was me – I couldn’t believe it, my eight-year-old daughter had taken it without me knowing,” she said.
“That was my turning point.
“I decided that this wasn’t the life that my loved ones and my beautiful family would want me to be living, so it was time to cut the excuses and turn things around.”
And that’s exactly what she did. She’s now a personal trainer, running Intensity Health and Fitness in Emerald.
“I love encouraging others to push themselves,” she said.
And last May she completed 1000 burpees in 56 minutes at FitLife in Upper Ferntree Gully to raise more than $5000 for HeartKids, which is a support group for families of children with heart disease.
“I had learnt through my journey that I definitely had to have goals to reach for to keep me pushing forward,” she said.
“I got so much out of raising money for HeartKids last year that I thought I’d better last year’s efforts.”
Ms Hoffmann’s children will be doing burpees with her on the day, and Stacey’s three older brothers, Todd, Daniel and Brett, will complete the final 100 by her side.
“She’ll be watching from above yelling at them to go faster but cheering the loudest I’m sure,” she said.
Hoffy’s Burpee Challenge will include a silent auction from 11am to 2pm, live music and kids entertainment.
Ms Hoffmann is seeking donations to the silent auction and sponsorship.
Check out www.everydayhero.com. au/hoffys_burpee_challenge or call Ms Hoffmann on 0488 191 119 to donate.
