Extraordinary Health Magazine Extraordinary Health Vol 27 | Page 57

Ultra Runner Ray Zahab
Challenges Mother Nature—and Wins!
by Rhonda Price

hen most people think of dangerous extreme sports, activities
such as tow-in surfing, kite skiing, BASE jumping and cave diving
may come to mind. Garden of Life® brand ambassador Ray Zahab
takes “extreme” to an entirely new level by conquering some of
the harshest climates on the globe, including a recent trek that
spanned more than 900 miles with temperatures ranging from
a freezing -58 degrees to a sweltering 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Zahab, a Canadian explorer and ultra runner, started the expedition
in February with teammates Jen Segger and Stefano Gregoretti.
The trio crossed the Arctic Ocean from Qikiqtarjuaq to Baffin Island,
testing the frozen waters on foot and with fat tire mountain bikes.
Icy winds and dangerously low temperatures forced them to keep
moving with very little rest, and it was impossible to stop and
prepare food. To keep up their endurance levels, the team relied
on Garden of Life’s RAW Organic Meal to fuel their journey.
“We needed to keep our backpacks as light as possible, so we took
packets of RAW Organic Meal,” explained Zahab. “It’s the perfect,
instant ‘meal on the go’ because it’s easy to mix
and has all of the organic vitamins, minerals and
nutrients you need in one serving. We also found
that it’s good for the environment because there
is no clean up required, and we were diligent
about not leaving waste anywhere we traveled.”

After completing the northern leg of the trip, the team headed
to South America to tackle the Atacama Desert—the driest place
on earth. Although the sun’s rays baked everything in their path
and the heat was almost unbearable at times, the team persevered
and finished the trek in Copiapo, Chile, on March 13th.
Zahab has successfully completed numerous expeditions
in the past, including running the entire length of the Sahara
Desert in 2006, when he ran 4,600 miles in 111 days.
His run was chronicled in a documentary directed by Oscar
winner James Moll and narrated by actor Matt Damon. For his
team’s “Arctic2Atcama” excursion, the challenging expedition
supported his organization Impossible2Possible, which uses
adventure and technology to educate, inspire and empower
the global community to overcome perceived limits and make
positive change in the world. He shares his experiences
worldwide as a motivational speaker at events such as
TED, ideacity, World Affairs Council and Apple Distinguished
Educators events and is also the recent recipient of the
Meritorious Service Cross of Canada.
“The challenge is believing that overcoming obstacles
is 90 percent mental and the other 10 percent is all in our
heads,” he said. “Going the distance means pushing beyond
our perceived limits—leading to a discovery that we are all
capable of achieving the extraordinary!”