Ahmet H. Uysal has been running marathons for 20 years, as well as realizing life-long dreams like going to the North Pole and climbing in the Himalayas. Here is how he turned another dream into relief for many.
The World Marathon Challenge is the ultimate running event in the world where runners complete 7 full marathons on 7 continents in 7 days, and I decided to do it. In my family, education is top priority, and, as before, I decided to run for TEGV, founded by our beloved fellow alumnus, Suna Kıraç ACG 60.
I am almost always in marathon shape, but doing seven in a row without proper time or even a bed for recovery was a big challenge. I trained for almost two years and did most of my long runs on the Plateau. The event was one of the most memorable things I ever did. I became the only Turkish person ever to join and complete this Challenge.
We started on January 31 at Novo, Antarctica, in brutal -25°C stormy conditions. Then we flew to Africa in a cargo plane to run the second marathon in Cape Town, in less than 24 hours. The journey continued with marathons in Perth (Australia), Dubai (Asia), Madrid (Europe), Fortaleza (South America), and finally in Miami (North America) in the evening of February 6.
I had a ritual where before each marathon of reading letters from TEGV children across Turkey. They boosted my power and made me feel as if I had wings. However, on my last day, I received news of the earthquake which added an emotional meltdown to my sore knees and depleted energy reserves. I still finished strong, with a time of 13th overall.
I raised enough funds to cover 7000 children’s annual education costs, and all these funds are directed to be used in TEGVs mobile facilities in the earthquake area.
Published April 2023
