03/31/2024
Very inspiring and motivational! A real example of perseverance and resilience.
A week has passed since Jasmin Paris’ unbelievable Barkley finish and the sport of ultrarunning is forever changed. This is the run that was heard around the world. The moment when trended across the internet and ultrarunning became part of the mainstream conversation. Though statistics showed there was absolutely no way Jasmin - who had not been able to hold down food for the better part of a day and had not slept in almost three - would finish Barkley under the 60-hour cut off, millions of people around the world believed that she could.
The 40-year-old mother of two - who first made headlines when she ran 268 miles and set an overall course record on the Spine in 2019, while pumping milk for her baby - also never stopped believing that she could finish. Even in those final hours, when Jasmin knew that completing the race under the cut off would come down to seconds, she believed the finish was still within her reach. Even after everything in her body screamed that it had had enough, she found the strength to sprint up yet another mountain and touch the fabled yellow gate of the finish line. Only then did Jasmin, who was no longer able to speak or move, learn that she had finished the race with 99 seconds to spare.
What does Jasmin’s finish tell us about life?
Her astounding performance shows the importance of self-belief, especially when the goal you have worked so hard for feels out of reach. Though Jasmin did not finish Barkley the first two times she attempted the race, she learned from those experiences, trained hard and believed in herself. That's what carried her to the finish.
Jasmin’s performance also speaks to the power of being a mom. When Jasmin set out to run the Spine in 2019, her daughter was 14-months-old. When she decided to run Barkley in 2021, her son was an infant. Jasmin, who is a small animal vet, said that signing up for these races, while having small children, gave her the opportunity to rediscover running all over again, to reset and work towards a goal. As a mother, I appreciate what this means.
Jasmin’s finish took a team. In her moving interview with iRunfar she talks about the man in the final climb of the race, who told her to not look at her watch and keep pumping her arms. And Jarred a fellow finisher, who gave her the more favorable direction the final loop because he too, believed Jasmin was capable of being the first woman to cross the line in the 38-years - Barkley has been run.
We love Jasmin Paris’ story because her tenacity exemplifies the very best of what makes us human. And is a reminder of the resilient spirit that lives within us. Here’s to that , the first female Barkley finisher, and the lady who has undoubtedly opened the gate that more of us are sure to run through. Photo credit . https://www.instagram.com/howiesternphoto/.
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