Courtney Dauwalter: Step inside the 'pain cave', where rules are remade
Courtney Dauwalter: Step inside the 'pain cave', where rules are remade
Courtney Dauwalter used to teach biology. Now her ultrarunning achievements are challenging centuries-old ideas about the differences in physical capabilities between men and women.
Comfortably leading the race as she entered the last 12 miles, her vision began clouding from the periphery. Temporary distorted vision isn't unheard of in ultra-running; the stress of running so hard and long can mean the body struggles to refresh the fluid in the eyeball as usual. It is a condition known as corneal edema. But Dauwalter's case was particularly severe. As she continued towards the finish line, it worsened until she was effectively 90% blind.
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Dauwalter made it to the aid station, but instead of dropping out, she used a volunteer to guide her by narrating the terrain as they ran. A battered and bleeding Dauwalter crossed the finish line - the first woman to do so that day - in 20 hours 38 minutes 09 seconds,, external with her vision returning to normal five hours later.
Wtaf. That is freaking amazing.
I admire athletes who can do amazing feats, but this seems crazy. Crazy, as in, someone should have stopped her from continuing.