Brazilian is the first to run up and down the highest mountain in Antarctica – News of Brazil
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the ultramarathon runner Fernanda Maciel been on top of the highest mountain in Antarctica, Mt. vinson, and saw his story being written in extreme conditions.
The Brazilian set the course record of 4892 meters, usually done between five and seven days by professional athletes, and completed it in 9 hours and 41 minutes.
The miner started her career in the mountains in 2006 and has already run up and down the hills Aconcagua (6961 meters in 14 hours), Kilimanjaro (5895 meters in seven hours) and Elbus (5642 meters in five hours), the highest peaks in the Americas, Africa and Europe, respectively.
“I had the opportunity to go to New Zealand and did my first mountain half marathon. I loved. The half marathon on asphalt, at that time, I did in one hour and 28 minutes. In the mountains, I did exactly one hour and 28. I thought ‘damn, I’m much better in the mountains’ and I really like this sport”reported Fernanda.
In 2008, the marathon runner was invited to do her first ultramarathon in California, in the United States, and ranked first in her category. In 2009, she moved to Europe for work and started to compete in several events in the sport.
“Here in Europe, I started to win them all, because it was something that motivated me a lot and I had a talent for it. As I was an environmental lawyer, everything was very connected. I love nature”bill.
Route to Mount Vinson
on the hill vinson, the athlete made the shortest time in history on the ascent, with 6 hours and 40 minutes, and the shortest time in the sum of the ascent and descent – without the aid of oxygen –, totaling 9 hours and 41 minutes.
“I train every day, so I don’t have any rest days. I have a mental coach, who prepares me mentally for my projects and exams, and I have a coach who prepares my physical training. My sponsors also make some special products for me, so that I have these conditions”explains.
Living in front of Mont Blanc, in the heart of Alps, the Brazilian relies on the French glaciers for training in Chamonix.
“I’m running in the snow all the time. Mont Blanc is almost 5,000 meters high. In the summer, you can run uphill. It takes a lot of effort to live here to have these conditions, but it makes me more prepared to do my projects and tests”.
The Antarctic Challenge
The logistics to complete the dream of Fernanda it was complex. For her, experiences in extreme conditions were essential in the challenge of running Vinson.
“You have super logistics in terms of weather conditions, the material to be able to run. I can’t run with a triple boot, with three layers. I go running in sneakers and then change to another lighter boot so I can move my heel, for example”, reports.
“I have to practice the smallest details and prepare my body to be able to wear tennis shoes in a temperature of minus 25 degrees. That comes with years of experience.”
“For these projects that I do, I know that there is, like, a 10% chance of me succeeding and a 90% chance of not, because everything has to be really aligned: the bureaucratic part, the authorization to be able to go there and the part of really running, because it is a special activity”.
“You need to have the weather conditions and the mountain conditions. I have to feel super good and trained in the place. Thank God it worked. The conquest chip still dropped, but I’m super happy and I can’t stop going to church to light candles”.
Among the difficulties, the ultramarathoner says that her crampons (a piece with metallic spikes, attached to the shoe to allow better performance in ice climbing) broke during the journey and the goggles, protective glasses, froze, but nothing made her think about giving up the race. arrival at the top of the mountain.
According to the athlete, the feeling of reaching the goal in Antarctica was unique. “It’s a feeling of being like that, a tiny being in the middle of a white space, of peace and silence. That moment is unique. It’s like a feeling of survival, of being an animal again, it’s a totally extreme place.”
With temperatures close to -40°C on Mount Vinson, Fernanda recalls that she also felt the power to be giant and brave.
“You look down and go ‘holy shit, I can’t believe I’m in the middle of all this ice and I managed to run all the way up here.’ It felt like it was tearing my heart apart. When you finish, it’s a relief, like ‘wow, I did it’, because the descent is the most dangerous part. You cannot have a mistake”.
On future challenges, Fernanda still wants to conquer the other highest points of each continent.
Upcoming plans include Pyramid Carstensz, in Oceania, with 4884 meters, and Mount Denali, in North America, with 6190 meters, in addition to the 110-kilometer ultramarathon in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro and Paraty, which takes place in September.
“I never thought about being a reference. I do everything out of passion and it’s very natural. I feel support from a lot of people in my sport and outside”concludes the record holder.
Source: CNN
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