Running Across Canada: Empowering Women Through Ultras with Stephanie Simpson

um let's go back in time first and then we'll talk about how you're preparing for this journey i'm just curious what got you started and running like how did you decide to run an ultra

yes an ultra my first uh ultra was in 2015 like 11 years ago and it was a 50 and i remember saying i'm not ever going to do this ever again, like most people.

And then it went to 80 and then 100 and stuff like that.

But I started running in maybe 18 years ago.

My mom passed away from cancer.

She was 45.

And I'm not someone that speaks a lot.

And I believe that it was my way to express my feelings or just breathe or I don't know.

And at first I hated it.

I was like doing like maybe like three times a week for 30 minutes.

And I was like, oh, this is so long.

I don't like it.

But then I started doing more and more and it became a passion, a lifestyle.

And now I run like mostly every day.

Yeah, it's really interesting.

I think like.

Um, I really started running when I was dealing with infertility and like the, the running helped me grieve that process.

Like I think running is so impactful when you're going through something.

It's like that animal thing where like animals, they shake when they go through trauma.

And I think running is a little bit like shaking.

I don't know.

Yeah, it makes sense.

You've done a whole bunch of these big ultras, big known ultras.

You've been to big backyards.

I think your PR is like 43 hours.