rare air 27 | lisa tamati

“‘This too will pass’ is my favourite go-to mantra for everything in life.  It means, no matter if it’s good or if it’s bad, it’s gonna go by and you’ll get though it. Whether you’re having good luck or whether you’re having back luck or whether you’re in pain or you’re not in pain, this will pass. I think that’s a really powerful message to just hang on for a few more steps or a few more minutes or a few more hours or a few more days  and you’ll get there.” NZ ultra runner Lisa Tamati

In my mid forties I decide to take myself on. Get my health and fitness better than they’d even been.

When I was looking for inspiration, I came across Lisa Tamati, a genuine legend of the ultra running scene. Similar age to me, she has run over 140 ultras, over 70,000 kms, all the while battling asthma and back that was broken when she was 21.

While she epitomises the gritty competitor, she is also a deeply compassionate, community minded person. Easy going, approachable, never exaggerating or glorifying her achievements.

In this conversation, Lisa talks about her path to ultra running, about courage, leadership, and the deepest sense of living that she’s gained from putting one foot in front of the other.

Thanks Lisa for spending this time with me, I listen to your “Pushing the Limits” podcast often and always feel like I’m in a chat with a good friend.

Recorded at Sugarland Studios, 2018
Mixed by Adrian Sardi at Sugarland Studios
Music "The Summit" by Blue Dot Sessions from freemusicarchive.org