While home in Dublin during Christmas 2001, Avril was flicking TV channels and came across the Eco Challenge, Borneo. Watching as athletes crossed the leech infested jungles of Borneo, sleep deprived, hungry and miserable she knew that she was missing out on something. Watching this show, immediately triggered something in Avril and she bought a bike, a kayak and started running. Avril took part in the Odyssey Adventure Racing academy that year where she learned the skills required and then took part in her first race, a 48hr race known as one of the toughest on the East Coast of the US and caught the racing bug, from then on was hooked.

Since then Avril has raced in over ten expedition length races, including the 5 Eco Primal Quests, and three World Championships, a few 48 hr and 24 hr races and also some 50K trail races and four marathons. During these challenges she has broken an elbow, her back, an ankle and has even had to have a twig removed from her eye, all in the name of adventure racing.