Jacky Hunt-Broersma has set a new unofficial world record. Picture: Twitter
Jacky Hunt-Broersma, who was born and raised in South Africa, has set an unofficial world record of running 102 marathons in 102 days.
Hunt-Broersma, 46, who lost her left leg at the age of 26 to Ewing’s sarcoma, a type of cancer, in 2002, completed her running feat on Sunday in Arizona, USA.
The ultramarathon runner started running 5km distances in 2016 before progressing to the longer distances. She started her record attempt on 17 January, running the 42.2km distance every day until last week.
This video is no longer available.
Hunt-Broersma has achieved a number of running goals in the last six years. She was the first amputee to run 100 miles (160km) on a treadmill, while she was also the first amputee to take on the Trans-Rockies Mountain Stage Race in Colorado.
Waking up on Sunday – a day off after 102 days of running – was a bizarre experience for Hunt-Broersma.
“Part of me was really happy to be done,” she told the BBC from her home in Arizona. “And the other part kept thinking I need to go running.”
According to BBC.com, Hunt-Broersma was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in 2002, a rare type of bone cancer. Within two weeks doctors had amputated her left leg to save her life.
ALSO READ: ‘The race that never ends’: Delta Backyard Ultra attracts running enthusiasts
“It was a rollercoaster … everything happened so fast,” she recalls.
But, once she’d got into running and the bug had bitten, she just kept going.
“I’m an all or nothing person, so I just threw myself in,” she explains. “I love pushing boundaries and seeing how far I can push.”
Next up for the ultra runner is the Moab, a gruelling 240 mile (386 km) race in Utah this October.