Young women without fertility problems have about 25 per cent chance of conceiving. But this falls to about 12 per cent at age 37 and 5 per cent at 42.
Tamati had expected to have children but her dream had not yet became a reality.
"I've always thought, Yes, I'll grow up and I'll have children. And I always wanted to have it in the perfect circumstances. You know, married with the white picket fence," Tamati said.
"I have had an interesting life but it never all came together until I met my fiance. Now it has come together and the doctors are telling me, 'You're too old.' It's just like, 'You're kidding me, now I'm ready'."
But despite the the struggle, Tamati would not give up her bid to become a mother and would "treat it like a race day".
The Taranaki woman is no stranger to challenges. In the past 25 years, Tamati has competed in races across the Sahara and Gobo Deserts, over the Himalayas, through the Australian Outback and ran the length of New Zealand in 38 days. The athlete estimates she has clocked up at least 70,000km.
Among her achievements, Tamati was the first Kiwi woman to finish the infamous Badwater Ultramarathon through the hottest desert on Earth, running 217km non-stop through Death Valley, in California.
For this new challenge, Tamati has given herself a deadline of two years to conceive. After the failure of IVF treatments, the couple are trying to conceive naturally but may consider egg donation if unsuccessful.
