Run Sal Run
An inspirational story about what it looks like to live bravely and have the courage to go after what makes you feel truly alive.
“It takes a long time to grow an old friend.”
There is something so easy and familiar about an old friend. Years (decades even) can pass, and then you reconnect and take up where you left off, as though you saw each other yesterday. This is exactly how it was with Sal and me. We met in 1982 in our first year of high school. Pimply, awkward 13-year-olds (oh wait… that was me) … Sal was the uber cool (and super nice) sporty spice!
Over the last forty years, our lives have taken us in different directions, and yet the plotline of our life stories share a common thread … one that isn’t dissimilar to thousands of other midlife women who have dedicated decades to supporting the people they love and consistently putting the needs of others before their own.
The first half of Sal’s life followed a well-worn path. School followed by university, career, marriage, and kids. A path that unfolded more by default than design, navigated using societal compass points rather than consciously piloting her own direction. Of course, she made choices, but they were all well signposted and followed the prevailing winds of convention. Having devoted the last twenty-five years to full-time mothering, it’s hardly surprising; that her role, as a mum came to feel like it defined her.
While tradition might suggest that she should be winding down not up, Sal sure as hell isn’t ready to hoist up the white flag and retire to a quiet spot on the periphery of life. At fifty-four, she’s just hitting her straps. She feels wiser and more driven to rediscover her wild heart and adventurous spirit and like so many other midlife women, feels plagued by a persistent whisper that says; “there must be more to life than this.”
Make no mistake, the privilege of being a full time Mum to three amazing kids is not lost on Sal, and while she feels simultaneously grateful for the life she’s had, she’s also engulfed by a yearning for more. But more of what?
Sal’s quest to uncover this ‘moreness’ that she was missing led her to rediscover her love for running. Not one to do things by half, she signed up for the New York Marathon, which she completed in 2014. Since then, she’s completed the six major marathons of the world.
At this point, while most of us would be resting on our laurels… Sal, on the other hand, was looking for her next challenge.
She became aware of an event called Racing The Planet and the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series, which is widely recognized as the most prestigious outdoor footrace series in the world. The series consists of the Namib Race (Namibia), the Gobi March (Mongolia), the Atacama Crossing (Chile) and The Last Desert (Antarctica). Competitors in the races traverse 250 kilometres in seven days over rough country terrain with only a place in a tent and water provided. You can read more about it here.
While I would rather stick hot needles in my eyes …for Sal, this ignited something and fanned the flames of adventure simmering inside her.
But wait … there’s more …
When a 4 desert ultramarathon doesn’t sound like enough of a challenge … you can up the ante for what is widely considered as one of the most difficult endurance challenges in the world… The Grand Slam Plus… which requires you to complete all four desert races PLUS the RacingThePlanet Ultramarathon, all within one calendar year.
Currently only 18 people have ever completed the Grand Slam, only six of whom are women, and NONE are Australian! Sal is hoping to be the first. She departs for race one in Namibia next week.
Like so many women, Sal is humble, self-deprecating and plagued by self-doubt. Her inner critic has been working overtime to convince her that this dream is fanciful, and it took some ‘convincing’ to get her to share her story. I am in awe of her courage, tenacity, determination, and sense of adventure, and while a 4-desert ultramarathon is well beyond most of us, Sal’s inspirational story speaks to all midlifers, who refuse to believe that the best is behind them and feel plagued by a persistent whisper that says, “there must be more to life than this.”
Sal is modelling what it looks like to live bravely and have the courage to go after what makes her feel truly alive… inspiring us all to have the courage to reimagine and strive for a fulfilling and adventurous second act, filled with a renewed sense of passion, courage, curiosity, and purpose.
Ang x
“There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think. Courage and daring are coursing through your veins. It’s time to show up and be seen.” – Brene’ Brown
You can follow Sal’s adventure and progress over on her Instagram page RUNSALRUN
Run Sal, run. Indeed!