Lisa Tamati Biography - Monday 30th June 2014
Lisa Tamati is an amazing athlete - she's run the toughest races on earth ... the Himalayan 'La Ultra' and 'Badwater' ultra marathons - her message and the analogies she draws on from her very tough sport, are relevant across the board! Lisa was the first Australasian woman and only the third ever New Zealander to participate in the “Badwater Ultramarathon” - a 217km non-stop race through the hottest desert on earth called Death Valley in the U.S.A. This is considered the toughest race on earth and pits 80 of the world’s toughest ultra athletes against each other and the elements.
The race is by invitation only and is the unofficial world champs of ultra marathon running. Lisa finished 10th of the women and 24th overall from 82 competitors sealing her world class ranking in ultra marathon running. She completed the race in 38hrs and 24 minutes - over 18 hrs faster than the two NZ men who had previously finished the race.
Not content with that, Lisa has just completed 'La Ultra' and she and her dedicated crew battled high altitude, truck convoys, snow storms, sand storms and terrifying heat to finish the gruelling Himalayan run! ... a fantastic feat considering it's the highest and toughest ultramarathon at the roof of the world! She is one of just six competitors invited to compete and it was an incredible achievement!