Overcoming arthritis and pain to run marathons, Natasha Leslie is nominated for a NAIDOC Award

Marathon runner Natasha Leslie is one of three nominees in the sportsperson category at this year's NAIDOC Awards.  (Supplied: Natasha Leslie)

In Natasha Leslie's "woman cave", as she jokingly calls it, five large medals hang proudly above a host of smaller ones.

The names of five major worldwide cities adorn the medals: New York, Berlin, Chicago, London and Tokyo.

Those cities are five of the six that play host to the crown of long-distance running events, the World Marathon Majors.

Ms Leslie didn't grow up as a long-distance runner, and before starting her career she struggled with health issues that would stop most at the starting line.

"I'm not built for running – I have arthritis in my spine," she said.

"It makes training and running quite difficult."

But Ms Leslie pushed past the pain to fulfil her personal goals and support her mental health.

On track to fulfil goal

Boston is the only holdout in her collection and it's one she hopes to obtain in 2025.

In running the Boston Marathon, she will collect a medal she has been long running towards.

"That will get me my six-star medal, which has been the goal for the last seven years," she said.

The proud Gummipingal woman of the Worimi people was born in New South Wales, but for most of her life has called the West Australian town of Karratha home.

Now, she's been named a finalist in the 2024 NAIDOC Awards in the sportsperson category, with judges citing her hard work, her ability to be a role model for others and her representation of First Nations people on a global stage.

Blak, loud and proud

The nomination puts her in elite sporting company – past winners have included AFL legend Lance Franklin and star netballer Donell Wallam.

Ms Leslie said she was shocked and didn't feel deserving of the nomination, but the theme of this year's NAIDOC Week stuck with her.

"A lot of mob, we hold that shame factor – so it's the perfect theme this year," she said.

"Blak, loud and proud, and those are some words I have to swallow."

Living in the Pilbara, 1,600 km north of Perth, Ms Leslie reckons the heat of the north has helped her preparation immensely.

"After eight years of training in the summers I'm still not used to it," she said.

"But going to these different countries, it's generally cooler, so it makes it a lot easier to race."

Seven years running

Marathoning wasn't always a passion for Ms Leslie – it began at a low point in her life.

"In 2017, I had come out of a marriage and hit rock bottom," she said.

"I lost a bit of self-worth and confidence."

Having heard of the Indigenous Marathon Project, a health promotion charity that supports First Nations people to run marathons across the world, Ms Leslie realised it could be an opportunity to regain that confidence.

Being accepted into the project set her on an eight-year path, first running the New York Marathon in 2017.

"Getting to that finish line in New York, it's really hard to describe that overwhelming feeling of self-determination and self-worth," she said.

"Since then, I've wanted to chase the six majors."

Since completing the New York Marathon, Ms Leslie has gone on to run marathons in four other cities, most recently in Tokyo.

When asked about the highlights so far, she said it was every time she reached the finish line.

Showcasing First Nations culture on the course

The NAIDOC Awards selectors made a specific note about Ms Leslie and how she represents First Nations Australians globally.

For Ms Leslie herself, culture is central to everything she does.

"I always have my family and my mob back home that I'm trying to keep proud," she said.

By engaging in sport, she hopes to encourage better physical and mental health in her community.

"A lot of our mob have preventable diseases – that we can change," she said.

"If we can start now with being active and have that go down in the generations, hopefully we can knock a few of those out."

Also employed as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education officer at Karratha's Tambrey Primary School, Ms Leslie is hoping to share those messages with students.