A Vernon, B.C., woman is one of the last competitors in what’s been described as one of the most gruelling sporting events out there.
Shanda Hill is competing in A Double Deca, an ultra triathlon equivalent to 20 Ironman events in a row. Competitors first swim 76 km, then bike 3,600 km and finish up with an 844-km run.
She started the event in San Felipe Mexico Sept. 23, on the heels of completing the Swissultra Double Deca in Buchs Switzerland just days before that, a testament to her tenacity.
The feat of athleticism is supported by a team that offers regular updates about her triumphs and struggles through her social media channels. They’ve shared how she’s endured everything from injury to equipment failure and still persisted.
In the latest update, her team highlighted how that’s not necessarily the norm.
“Initially, we had six racers, but now only three remain in the competition,” reads the update.
“This race’s difficulty level has proven to be highly challenging. (One competitor) had to withdraw last week due to a bacterial infection, and another also dropped out earlier last week. However, (a third) took a different approach, opting out of only part of the event.
That leaves only Ronny Roessler from Germany, Tsai Ming-Yi from Taiwan and Hill in the actual Deca event.
“Last night, Shanda faced some challenging conditions on the course,” the update posted on Tuesday read.
“Heavy rain made it quite muddy, making her run even more difficult. She mentioned that she preferred running under the moonlight without using a flashlight. She found the presence of numerous spiders along the path quite unnerving. However, this morning, she experienced a genuinely terrifying moment when she inadvertently stepped on a snake, and it coiled around her calf.”
The upside, however, is that Hill feels better physically than she did earlier in the week and she’s determined to break out of second place and overtake the leader in the race.
As of 8 a.m. CST this morning, there were the latest standings:
1) Ronny Roessler (Germany) – 180 KM RUN
2) Shanda Hill (Canada) – 98 KM RUN
3) Tsai Ming-Yi (Taiwan) – 3207 KM BIKE
4) Heide Lindemann (Germany) – DNF
5) Giorgio Alessi (Italy) – DNF
6) Mike Ward (Guernsey) – DNF
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