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She hates to run, but ran around the world for a cause
Dubai-based expat breaks three records to raise money for slum children in Dhaka.
- PUBLISHED: Wed 6 Jan 2016, 5:12 PM
The Guinness World Records has officially certified an adventurous Dubai-based former Emirates flight attendant as having achieved three world records during a global quest to raise money for hundreds of underprivileged slum children in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.
In February, Portuguese national Maria Conceicao and two teammates took on the '777 challenge', which comprised of seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. The event began in Melbourne, Australia, on February 8, followed by marathons in Abu Dhabi, Paris, Tunis, New York and Punta Arenas, Chile, before finishing on King George Island in Antarctica after a four-day weather delay.
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Now, Guinness has certified that Conceicao is the fastest woman to complete an official marathon on each continent, which she accomplished in 10 days, 23 hours and 30 minutes, smashing the previous record of 48 days. Additionally, Conceicao is now officially the fastest woman to complete a marathon and ultramarathon on each continent, a feat for which she also has the world's fastest aggregate time.
"It's taken all this time to get it approved by Guinness World Records," teammate Saul Keens told Khaleej Times. "Now she has three new records from that, and a total of six Guinness records."
Conceicao - who "hates running" - said she did it to raise money for the Maria Cristina Foundation (MCF), which she founded in 2005 after witnessing the poverty in Dhaka during a 24-hour layover while flying with Emirates.
MCF currently has approximately 200 children enrolled in Dhaka schools from kindergarten to the 12th grade. Several graduates of the programme have gone on to successful careers with Emirates in Dubai.
"I am still finding it hard to believe that I have completed the challenge in 11 days. I am not a fast runner, but I was so determined that nothing would have stopped me from finishing this challenge," Conceicao said. "All I know is that my commitment to help others gives me power to see the challenges through. I ran to secure the future of my 200 children. Our foundation is consistently strong with purpose and vision, but we struggle financially. This will always be the toughest challenge."
Speaking to Khaleej Times after returning from the 777 challenge in 2015, Conceicao noted that thoughts of the children in Dhaka kept her moving forward despite extreme exhaustion, physical pain and jet lag. "My only definition of success is being able to put a kid in school, or pay (for) their school meals, transport, or house rent and medical (bills)," she said. "Otherwise I see myself as a failure. A tremendous failure."
While declining to give details, teammates said Conceicao is planning "some of her toughest challenges yet" over the course of 2016. - bernd@khaleejtimes.com
The three records Conceicao broke
> Fastest woman to complete an official marathon on each continent(10 days, 23 hours and 30 minutes)
> Fastest woman to complete a marathon and ultramarathon on each continent
> Fastest aggregate time to complete a marathon and ultramarathon on each continent