I'm stoked to share Heather Lee’s inspiring story! Heather’s an intrepid explorer, who is deeply passionate about travel and trail/mountain running. She grew up in the beautiful mountains of Alberta, Canada and has lived in 8 different countries between North America, Europe, and the Middle East, and has filled many passports visiting 55 countries.
Her IG feed captures her passion for running, adventure, and photography and brings you along on her experiences learning about the architecture, culture, and people she’s encountered along the way.
Heather was part of a 4 woman team, The Desert Roses, that set out to RUN the ENTIRE perimeter of Qatar—500K on trail in 5 days! Like any lengthy stage race, they encountered numerous obstacles—huge temperature shifts, injuries, and unforeseen circumstances—and had to work together as team to problem-solve on the fly. Their collective goal was to inspire young girls and women in Qatar to participate in sports, get active, and introduce them to Ultra running. THIS is getting involved in your community and making an impact. Bravo, Heather!

Some of the topics we covered include:
-Her work experience in Qatar—getting her doctorate, being a psychologist, psycho-educational assessments, working with kids and adolescents with learning disabilities
-Sports from her youth—basketball, volleyball, and badminton
-Finding running
-Falling in love with trail/mountain running and connecting with the awesome beauty and power of nature
-The vibe of Ultra—everyone supporting one another and aid-station FUN
-Her time in Sri Lanka—travel adventure and a special connection
-Strategies for staying positive in COVID times
-Desert Roses 2021—running the perimeter of Qatar (500K on trail in 5 days)

If that hasn’t piqued your interest, I'm hoping these words from Heather (after completing her 1st Ultra (50K)) will:
"I loved it. I just loved being out there all day, the feeling of pushing yourself to that extreme and I remember the feeling I had after that 1st Ultramarathon—if I can do that, I can do anything. I don’t think I’ve ever had that feeling as much as I did at that point. And from there I was kinda hooked."

If you enjoy the conversation, it would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast or write a review and share feedback wherever you get your podcast groove on.

Connect With Heather:
Instagram: @heatherruns_trails
The Desert Roses: @thedesertroses2021
Interview on Qatar Living: https://bit.ly/3ecyZqK
Article in Qatar's Daily Newspaper: https://bit.ly/30h97lv
Heather's Blog: https://www.heatherrunstrails.com

Connect With Ron:
Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc
Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc
Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats
Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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Produced by: David Margittai | In Post Media
Website: https://www.inpostmedia.com
Email: david@inpostmedia.com
Social: @_margittai

© 2021 Ron Romano