A Degenerative Joint Disease Can’t Stop Helgi Olafson From Running Ultramarathons

This summer, the 38-year-old completed 640 miles in three races.Sprinkled with a cold desert rain and battered by blustery fall winds, an inflatable arch towered over. Under it, the finish line of the Moab 240. Olafson limped beneath the arch and across the line, on his face the same strange mix of elation, exhaustion, and pain that other ultramarathoners know so well. Tears welled up in his eyes. To him, the arch meant more than the finish line of the Moab 240.

At age 19, Olafson woke one morning unable to move. His joints and limbs felt locked in place. Doctors determined the cause to be Ankylosing Spondylitis , a form of degenerative arthritis affecting the spine and other joints. Since then, Olafson, now 38, has dedicated himself to athletic movement. In addition to typical treatment such as injections, he took up endurance sports, first competing in a triathlon in 2012. Eventually, he found his way to the start line of ultramarathons, hoping to inspire, advocate, andOlafson’s project would link the Triple Crown of 200 Mile ultramarathons by human power. On August 13, he started the Bigfoot 200 in Washington.

Originally planning to run from race to race, Olafson developed an avulsion fracture and torn tendon in his left foot during the Bigfoot 200. But rather than abandoning the project, he elected to cycle between races, minimizing impact on the injured foot. By the time he crossed beneath the arch in Moab, he had run 640 miles in three races.Helgi Olafson runs along the base of Mount St. Helens during the Bigfoot 200 ultramarathon.

That's crazy determination!

Good luck with raising awareness on that.

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