A local endurance athlete is preparing for one of the toughest challenges of her life. She looks forward to participating in the Antarctic Ice Ultra in freezing, unpredictable conditions in November. The Antarctic Ice Ultra is an extreme endurance footrace held in Eastern Antarctica, designed to test runners in some of the harshest conditions on earth.
Woutri Mugglestone (50) is inspired by her own journey and the triumphs she has achieved through adversity. By testing her own strength, she hopes to inspire others never to give up, no matter the challenges they face. “I hope someone finds hope through this, and that’s my motivation. I am running for hope.”
As a mother, businesswoman, and real estate professional, Mugglestone juggles long hours and a demanding schedule. She said people often wonder how she finds the time to balance it all. For her, the answer is simple: Finding your purpose makes any task easier. “It is to show that ordinary people can do extraordinary challenges. It all depends on your mind and your mindset,” she said.
endurance athletics. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Last December, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with her two children, an experience she said shifted her perspective on life. “On that mountain, something changed inside me,” she reflects. “I realised there’s a bigger purpose to my life. I wanted to inspire others, especially women.”
Mugglestone is set to fly out on 4 November, and after months of preparation, her mind is clear, and she feels ready. She explained that preparing for this race has been unlike anything she’s trained for before. She trains inside a logistics freezer at Country Bird Logistics in Bloemfontein three times a week. The temperatures drop to between -28 °C and -30 °C.
This simulation training is to not only get her body used to the extreme cold, but to train her mind. “We don’t know what to expect. Because the weather conditions are also different, I actually freeze,” she adds. She experiments with gear, tests how her body reacts, and studies her breathing and heart rate.
Over time, she has built up to long endurance sessions, including a 50-kilometer simulation to see how her body performs in extreme cold. “The first 10 km are normally the most challenging; you don’t warm up, but you cool down. In the low temperatures, I must battle to start,” she said. She aspires to complete up to 50 km in the 24 hours. Every minute and every step of the distance will be a step towards hope.
Gypseenia Lion
gypseenia@mahareng.co.za
