#109. Shamita’s run across Austria

 

In the depths of winter, Shamita Achenbach-Konig set out to run from her home in Vienna all the way to her birthplace of Bregenz, in the very west of Austria. This 640km journey took her a total of 7 days which involved being out on the road for up to 16 hours of the day.

Shamita had to contend with 4,000m of ascent and descent, plus the harsh weather of an Austrian winter.

Shamita is a professional cellist by profession, but has been running ultra-distance races with the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team for over 25 years.

To read more about it please see Shamita’s story.

#91. Abhejali‘s North Channel Swim (August 15, 2017)

On Aug 15, 2017, Abhejali Bernardova, a member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team from Zlin, Czech Republic, completed her 6th Oceans Seven challenge by conquering the North Channel from Donaghadee in Northern Ireland to Portpatrick in Scotland (35km – about the same distance as the English channel) in an excellent time of 10 hours 23:48, assisted by her experienced crew (Catalina, EC, Tsugaru): her sister Jana from London, Scottish team member Dhavala Stott and Jayalata from N.Y. According to the ILDSA (link is external) (Irish Long Distance Swimming Association) it was the fastest crossing of the six solo swims so far of 2017.

The North Channel (link is external) is widely regarded as one of the hardest sea swims in the world, due to low water temperatures (10-14°C, warmest in August), ubiquitous Lion mane jellyfish that surface with the sun, strong currents and very unpredictable and changeable weather. Abhejali is the first Czech swimmer – male or female – to swim the North Channel, the 17th woman overall and only the 49th person in the world to successfully complete the swim.