Meet Mexico’s Nahila Hernández
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” A T.S. Elliot idea that became my slogan and I tattooed it on my back so I can´t forget it.
My name is Nahila Hernández. I was born in Azerbaiyan, grew up in Cuba and have lived in Mexico for the past 20 years. I have two daughters, Carmen who is 13 and Julia who is 10 years old. They are a huge part of my inspiration. I am an ultramarathoner who enjoys longer races: 160k and up, in difficult environments, when possible.
In 2008 I saw a video of “The Marathon des Sables” and since then long races have become my passion. This is strange because at that time I had not yet even completed a marathon.
After successfully completing the 250k Marathon des Sables, I made a decision that drastically changed my life and the way I worked so that I could travel the world doing the most exotic races in places such as the Himalayas, Antarctica, North and South America, Africa, Australia, Israel, and Easter Island, to name a few.
Now I continue searching for new challenges around the world. This search gives me butterflies and motivates me to look for longer and harder races. I want experiences that will allow me to try to push beyond both my physical and mental limits.
I also like to do charity events such as expeditions that involve running for multiple days. For example running from Argentina to Chile or recently I crossed the entire Atacama Desert, the toughest desert in the world. I completed the 1,236 Kilometers in 23 days, averaging 54K per day, under the toughest conditions.
This year I´ll attend La Ultra – The High, in the Himalayas. It will be 222 km in less than 48 hrs. at 4000 meters above sea level, reaching 2 peaks of 5334 meters. This will be the 7th annual race and in the past 6 years, 59 runners from 22 different countries have participated and only 30 have finished. It will be crazy!
But first, I am focused on a program called Wings for Life! The Wings for Life World Run is a non-profit global running and wheelchair race that funds research into finding a cure for spinal cord injury. 100% of the Wings for Life World Run entry fees and runner donations go straight to the foundation with global partners such as Garmin. I´m looking forward to being the guide for a blind runner!
For more information on my races and results please click here.
Want more about Wings for Life World Run? Learn more about WFL here, meet our US ambassador or download Connect IQ apps to help you train.
