Next time you’re in need of a little exercise motivation, think of Chau Smith.
According to NBC, the 70-year-old Vietnamese-American recently completed the impressive feat of running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. The news outlet reports that Smith completed the Triple 7 Quest challenge and was the oldest person in her eight-member group to do so.
Over a week in late January, Smith completed marathons in Perth, Australia; Singapore; Cairo, Egypt; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Garden City, New York; Punta Arenas, Chile; and King George Island, Antarctica.
Tuoi Tre also spoke with the Vietnamese-born runner, who finished her first marathon at 49. Smith was born during the First Indochina War in 1947 and still has shrapnel in her body after an explosion during the American War sent her to the hospital at 13, NBC reports, however when she discovered running at age 48, Smith was taken with its ability to relieve stress.
“I don't think I will stop running until my legs completely refuse to do so,” she told Tuoi Tre in Vietnamese. “Recently, my husband and I started cycling to reduce the pressure on our joints. I really can't imagine how my life would be without running. At 70, I have stopped working but I still eat, sleep and run."
Moving forward, Smith plans to complete a new challenge: a marathon in each of the United States, according to Tuoi Tre. NBC also reports that Smith believes she may have earned a world record for her week-long marathon streak and will be contacting the Guinness Book of World Records to see if she qualifies.
[Photo via NBC]
