MIRIAM Sinclair is not the kind of person to ever do things by halves.
Since coming to Australia about three-and-a-half years ago from Scotland, Miriam hasn't taken a backward step and is immersing herself in Australian life.
Along the way she has worked in hospitality in Brisbane and Sydney, toiled in the heat picking fruit on farms, and is now working at Swan Hill District Health's extended care unit (ECU), where she organises events and outings for the facility's residents.
Miriam said she decided to come to Australia for a career change, after losing interest in her job in Aberdeen where she organised weddings and business conferences.
"With some of the events you were doing 60 to 70 hours a week...dealing with stressful brides was not rewarding at all," she said.
"I always wanted to come to Australia and it is just about the furthest I can get (from Scotland).
"Australia is seen as being a place for opportunities where there is lots of space and lots of jobs. The UK is in the highest recession its been in, so if you come out here there's lots of jobs if you want to work."
After travelling down the eastern coast, Miriam worked on a farm out at Goodnight, where the physical work was hard but enjoyable. Her next step was joining the Manangatang and Robinvale hospitals, before she found herself in Swan Hill in June 2010.
As part of her role at the ECU, Miriam organises outings for the residents, taking them on trips to the cinema in Echuca and rides on the Pyap. There are also plenty of in-house activities to entertain the residents, such as dress-up days and hair and beauty sessions.
But due to a lack of funds, the Swan Hill District Health ECU hasn't got it's own vehicle, meaning residents can only do outside activities when they borrow a small bus for one day a week.
"We keep waiting on a new building and we've been borrowing Jacaranda's bus which only holds four passengers and a wheelchair. We would really like our own one, so we could go any day of the week, whenever we decide," she said.
With the desire to get a new bus -- expected to cost upwards of $70,000 -- Miriam and her colleagues at the ECU have embarked on an ambitious fundraising campaign.
The ECU's biggest fundraiser was held on Friday, when they hosted a charity dinner dance at the Swan Hill town hall featuring an array of historic bridal gowns. The event was a huge success, raising more than $20,000 towards the bus.
"We had a lot of people since the event who have donated money...it's generated something in the community and it's been really good," she said.
Miriam also raised about $2500 from competing in last year's Melbourne Marathon, and put together a side that won the Swan Hill Show's tug-of-war competition, netting them $1000.
While the marathon posed an obvious physical challenge, it was the mental hurdles that Miriam also needed to overcome to complete the 42 kilometre run.
"You hit a wall in your head thinking that you can't do it, but you can. There's a battle in your head that's going on and it makes you mentally stronger," Miriam said.
"The more exercise you do, the more energy you get."
With a passion for sport and exercise, it's probably appropriate that Miriam's next career move will be into the fitness industry, and she is currently training to become an instructor.
But perhaps her toughest test will come at the end of March, when she takes part in the Tough Mudder event in Melbourne -- a 20km obstacle course designed by British Special Forces to test strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie.
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