AUSTRALIAN mining engineer, burns survivor, motivational speaker and author Turia Pitt, will be the main speaker at an event organised by the Stella Network in Lismore.

Turia Pitt was born on the tropical island of Tahiti. Her family migrated to Australia when she was three and ended up on the South Coast of New South Wales.

Turia studied at the University of New South Wales where she earned a double degree with honours in Mining Engineering and Science.

She worked as a model before landing her dream job with Rio Tinto at their prestigious Argyle Diamond Mine and moving to Kununurra with her partner Michael.

Their lives were turned upside-down when she was trapped by a grassfire in a 100 kilometre ultra-marathon in September 2011 and suffered burns to 65 per cent of her body.

Michael and Turia currently live in the coastal community of Ulladulla, surrounded by friends and family.

She spends her time training for an Iron Man, doing yoga, studying for an MBA and travelling the world giving motivational speeches.

Interplast is one of the charities she supports, as it that provides free reconstructive surgery to people in developing countries.

In 2014, Turia and her team raised close to $200,000 for Interplast.

Turia was named the NSW Premier's Woman of the Year and she was a finalist for Young Australian of the Year 2014.

She also appeared in the cover of the Australian Women's Weekly and she is a judge for the Australian Woman of the Future Fund.

Her memoir Everything to Live For with Libby Harkness was published late in 2013.

For details visit the Stella network Facebook page.