Nataliya began running at the age of 12. And just six years later she took on her first World Harmony Run. She ran in the Ukraine and Russia, then on to the rest of Europe. 

For her, it was an inspiration to run in so many different countries and to meet with different nationalities of children. "Children are so glorious," she says. "It is like living in paradise when you see them all smile." 

"Every day on the run is different and so inspiring that you forget about yourself," she explains. "I do not even notice that I'm carrying a torch. I can run all day long –  30 to 50 km. One time in Russia, I ran 55 km in one day. Simply, the atmosphere of harmony gives me energy."

The hard part for many relay team members is leaving the event after completing their particular section. This happened to Nataliya: "I did not want to abandon the run, I wanted to keep running until the end." This time she is determined not to let that happen again, so she's signed up to complete the entire route around Australia!

After each run, she feels that she makes huge progress and so she is looking forward to taking up this exciting challenge. "I am thrilled to be participating in this historic event – to experience another country and its customs; to meet the people of Australia; and to see and learn many new things in this very warm and beautiful country.