Imagine running almost 2,000 kilometres — mostly through gruelling desert terrain — all while your toenails keep falling off: 10 of them, to be precise.

Key points: Jacqui Bell is set to become the youngest person to complete seven ultramarathons across seven continents

Jacqui Bell is set to become the youngest person to complete seven ultramarathons across seven continents The 24-year-old has overcome an addiction to painkillers as well as mental health issues

The 24-year-old has overcome an addiction to painkillers as well as mental health issues A serious incident left Bell in a Bali hospital for 10 days and requiring 200 stitches

For most, it sound like a form of torture. Not so for ultramarathon runner Jacqui Bell, especially when you consider what she's already been through.

"It's a week of running and being disconnected," Bell told the ABC.

"There's nothing on your mind."

Three years ago, Bell had a "bad run" and broke a number of bones in a series of sports-related incidents.

During her recovery, she became addicted to prescription painkillers, while her mental health also began to suffer.

Sand, dunes, forest trails, rocks and slot canyons all await Bell in the upcoming Grand to Grand Ultra in the USA. ( Supplied: Colin Clarke Media )

"My family didn't really know the extent of pain from the injuries," Bell said.

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"I was still functioning when I was taking them — they just gave me a bit of a high.

"It was when I ran out or stopped taking them I would realise that things weren't so good and I was at an all-time low … it wasn't a good time."

In a bid to get herself cleaned up, Bell moved to Bali with the intent of becoming a yoga teacher, but things didn't go to plan.

She fell victim to a violent robbery when two men pulled her off her scooter and stole her hand bag.

What followed was 10 days in hospital, more than 200 stitches and in excess of $30,000 in medical fees.

Rather than be immersed in self-pity, Bell treated the incident as her "wake-up call".

"I knew that is was going to be easy to fall back into old patterns, and I did for a small moment there, and I really hit rock bottom," Bell said.

"I thought it was up to me. I'm the one missing out on having a good life and everything really sucked.

"I knew that I had to make a really big change in my life and that's when I chose to do one of these ultramarathons."

A move back home to Queensland and a major shift in mindset put Bell back on a new path — albeit one that very few would even contemplate let alone take on.

Ultramarathons became her new passion, not an addiction.

"I genuinely love running — it's something I really enjoy," she said.

'I never wanted to go from one addiction to another'

But this new enjoyment presented a new set of challenges, both mentally and physically. Stages can vary from five to seven hours of daily running, while the longer stages can take up to 14 hours to complete. All racers have to carry their own food and equipment, while water and tent accommodation is provided.

The "highly competitive" Bell has already conquered Chile's arduous Atacama Crossing ultramarathon. ( Supplied: Facebook/Colin Clarke )

"At first, I had a really tough time — some of those long days by myself and nowhere to turn, I'd have all these negative thoughts and dig myself into a bit of a hole," Bell said.

"But through each race I've got mentally stronger and learnt different things about myself because I haven't been able to deflect.

"I have to stay out in the desert and deal with what's going on."

Having already conquered the world's leading endurance footrace series — the 4 Desert ultramarathon series, which involves running four multi-stage 250km events through deserts in Namibia, Mongolia, Chile and Antarctica — Bell is now on the cusp of becoming the youngest ultra-marathon runner to complete seven events across seven continents.

Heat will be a major factor when Bell competes in the G2G Ultra through Arizona and Utah. ( Supplied: Colin Clarke Media )

The 24-year-old is almost at the finish line, albeit one that will take 273km and seven days to reach.

"There's a real difference between injury pain and pushing yourself in these races, and injury pain is not something I enjoy at all," Bell said.

"I don't mind pushing myself and being absolutely buggered and having to have to keep going.

All smiles, and dirt, during Iceland's Fire and Ice Ultra. ( Supplied: Instagram/@jacquiabell )

"They say when you first get the idea that you're too tired and you can't keep going, you apparently still have 40 per cent left in the tank — I always try and remember that."

The first steps

It was hardly a conventional start for someone who "loves running".

A promising junior tennis player, it was Bell's on-court behaviour that stoked her passion for a sport she's now fully embraced.

"I'd have tantrums at the tennis court and my dad wouldn't stand for me throwing my racquet," she said.

"It started out by him leaving me at the tennis court and I'd have to run 7 kilometres home, with a racquet in my hand, having a bit of a cry. I realised that I actually didn't mind the run home. "

Those early survival skills would come in handy in her first race of the 4 Deserts ultramarathon series.

Bell keeps warm during the Alps 2 Ocean Ultra in New Zealand. ( Supplied: Facebook/Colin Clarke )

"My Achilles completely blew out and I didn't have any racing poles with me," explained Bell.

"So I fished through one of the rubbish bins and someone had thrown out racing pole.

"I dug through the bin and got out this broken racing pole and used my strapping tape to tape it together so I could make it through the last two days of the race."

Those last two days were another 75km through the desert in Namibia.

Eighteen months later, Bell's final ultramarathon to complete the seven continents gets underway this weekend in the United States.

Antarctica, the final race in the 4 Deserts ultramarathon series, presented a unique sets of challenges for Bell. ( Supplied: Facebook/Colin Clarke )

Since taking up the sport, the Queenslander has raised more than $20,000 for the White Cloud Foundation mental health charity.

Her race poles are safely in her backpack — a pack that now weighs a streamlined 7 kilograms, down from about 15kg when Bell first took up the sport.

"I'm actually am useless with packing a suitcase [for a holiday], but I'm good at these races because all you need is one outfit — which is kind of disgusting."