Endurance

Can you run 50 Marathons in 50 Days? The Queen of Sisu Can!

It sounds impossible – but of course it´s not. Some 75% of the 1.500 miles in total have been conquered already. By whom?

By Emilia Lahti. Emilia is a fellow Penn Mappster and has embarked on a truly remarkable journey at the beginning of this year: On January 18th, she started a 1,500-mile / 50-day running journey across the length of New Zealand. Her goal: to raise awarenss for nonviolence and peace. Ph.D. student Emilia is survivor of domestic violence and has initiated this project (“Sisu not Silence” to raise awareness around this neglected issue. In her words:

Much like running a thousand miles, healing from past trauma and impacting social change are also trials of endurance that begin by taking one step at a time. The key to overcoming goals that may seem impossible is to aim for relentless forward movement – no matter how slow the pace may feel at times.

You can follow her progress (and support her) via her homepage, Facebook, and Instagram. Go, Emilia!

Emilia Lahti | Sisu not Silence

Hardiness: How to run 50 Marathons in 50 Days

lahti_sisuIf you’ve visited Mappalicious in the past, you might have encountered Emilia Lahti, a fellow Penn Mappster from Finland. Currently, she’s in the process of writing her Ph.D. on Sisu, which is a Finnish word for the concept of strong determination and hardiness in the face of severe adversity. It´s an integral part of the Finnish culture and belongs to a set of untranslatable words that researcher Tim Lomas has written about.

Now, ever so often research is actually me-search. Emilia is a victim of domestic abuse and has started a project to raise awareness around this crucial issue. In 2017, she’s going to run 1,500 miles across New Zealand in 50 days – that’s roughly a marathon per day. She will perform this outstanding feat to support her initiative “Sisu not Silence”. If you´d like to find out more about this and maybe even donate, you can learn more here.

Today, Emilia was featured in an awesome video on NowThis. Go have a look…