Fernanda
Maciel
Brazil
·
Ultrarunning
Tanggal Lahir | 24 Januari 1980 |
|---|---|
Tempat Lahir | Minas Gerais |
Age | 45 |
Nationality | Brazil |
Disiplin | Ultrarunning |
Running has been present in Fernanda Maciel's life from the age of eight. At 23, she began to participate in international 600km 'non-stop' adventure racing. Over the years, she progressed in each facet of adventure racing (kayak, MTB, trail running), multi-sports (snowboarding, MTB, downhill, speed, trail running), triathlon and marathons over mountains to become an elite endurance athlete.
Maciel has achieved some impressive event results, including first place in the Penyagolosa Ultra-Trail World Tour edition (2015), second in Japan’s Ultra Trail Mount Fuji 169km race (also 2015), third in Italy’s The North Face Lavaredo Ultra Trail (2016) and third in the Gran Canaria leg of Ultra-Trail World Tour (2019).
Away from competing, Maciel pushes the boundaries of her sport with a series of ever more gruelling challenges. One undertaking in 2016 resulted in her becoming the first woman to run up and down Argentina’s Aconcagua mountain (6,962m), which is the focus of a Red Bull TV film called Aconcagua: A New Chance, while another pioneering project involved her climbing Gran Paradiso and the Matterhorn in the space of just 24 hours in 2020.
"When I'm running on top of mountains or paddling in the ocean, I feel so small and yet I feel the most intense feelings of freedom and peace," says Maciel, whose latest endeavour saw her braving extremely low temperatures on her way to the summit of Antarctica’s highest peak of Mount Vinson (4,892m).
“I am the first person to run up and down Mount Vinson – it's amazing," she says. "I love to move fast in the mountains and I love being in such contrasting terrains – they help me to improve my skills."