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Emma Piccoli

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Provides programs to empower children and teens to live fearlessly with IBD

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What better way to get fit than with a real purpose. I feel proud to be part of the IBD community. Living Fearlessly, with grit & determination to not just survive but thrive!

I’m taking on the Live Fearless Challenge this September to raise awareness and funds for the almost 180,000 Australians (including me and my friend Jess) living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

IBD is one of the most misunderstood chronic health conditions. Yet people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are ‘frequent flyers’ of the hospital system. It strips away income, disrupts education, work, relationships and travel, and can have a significant impact on both physical and mental health.

I’m getting active this September and aiming to complete 150km combo of walking, jogging, and workout (will substitute same km for duration). Every kilometre/hour/minute is for the thousands of people living with IBD who face this in silence. 

It’s also going to motivate me to achieve some serious fitness goals! 

Consider supporting me as I take on the LFC! Your donation will help fund research, patient support, education and advocacy - because no one should have to manage this disease on their own.

Thanks in advance :) 

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My Updates

I could barely hold the pen.

I remember the exact moment I had to sign off to have the surgery. I could barely hold the pen... my heart was racing from fear and also from the insane liquid hydrocortisone pumping through my veins. I prayed. I thought of my son. I prayed some more. I understood what needed to be done.

That moment changed my life forever.

It was one of the hardest yet best decisions of my life and I am so incredibly grateful for the health I now have.

Accepting life with an illeostomy took a bit of adjusting... but once I'd recovered from surgery I felt like a completely different person. 

Two years on and I am more ME than I've ever been and I'm lucky that I didn't have the choice to stay in bed and hide away. I had a child to look after, a house to pay for, good friends who supported and encouraged me, and a faith and relationship with Jesus that gave me strength when I had none.

I am now able to run. I am able to play with my son without being in pain. I am able to get out in nature again, go bushwalking and swim at the beach. I am able to workout, I am able to eat nutritious foods without pain. I am able to enjoy food again. I am able to show up for myself. I am able to spend time with friends and family and show up for them when they need me. I am able to plan for my future. I am able to work. The brain fog has started to lift, my memory has started to return. My body no longer holds me back. 

I know I am lucky and not everyone's story is like this. I also know that my health could take a turn tomorrow and I may be back in that hospital room. 

So much more needs to be done to raise vital funds to support research and improve treatments for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). 

IBD affects nearly 180,000 Australians, and that number is rising. Crohns disease and Ulcerative Colitis are life long and currently have no cure. These diseases are often managed with medication that comes with more side effects or the removal of sections of the bowel. But because symptoms are often invisible, the daily challenges faced by those with IBD are frequently overlooked. 

This disease can seriously impact a person's personal life and career, relationships, affecting physical and mental health and sense of self.

While I am writing this blog post as part of this incredible fearless challenge I also hope it reaches others.

To my fellow fearless warriors,

I want you to know you are stronger than you realise and you are not alone. Your experience is real. Your pain is real. Your fatigue is real. You are strong. You will get through this even if it feels like you're wading through quicksand. I believe in you.

I am doing this fearless challenge for me but also for you.

Love Emma (and Winnie - my mini stoma)



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