Lisa Tamati is one of the world’s most experienced ultra marathon runners, especially when it comes to racing in hot conditions. She’s competed in over 130 ultra marathons, traversed almost every desert in the world, cycled through 20 countries, run the length of New Zealand for charity and is a successful businesswoman, running coach and New York Times best selling author.
She also suffers severe asthma, broke her back at 21 and struggled with self-doubt and self-esteem throughout much of her younger life.
In this conversation we discuss her severe asthma and the surprising advantage it has given her as an endurance athlete, what she learnt from a disastrous (and potentially life threatening) crossing of the Libyan desert, how ultra running helped to heal her self-esteem and self-confidence, why you should start working towards your goals even before you know how you’re going to achieve them and what she wished someone had told her as a young girl.