It was while battling through the deep snow, the freezing cold temperatures, and the ferocious winds of Antarctica that Donna Urquhart realised the scale of the challenge she had taken on.
Last month the Melbourne pain scientist and mother set off with the aim of running 1,300 kilometres on the southern most continent – hoping to set a new world record for the longest polar run ever completed.
She’d spent two years preparing – including running against wind machines and in refrigerated containers in Melbourne – doing everything she could to mimic the conditions she would face.
But still, nothing could prepare her for the real thing.
“We have had days where it has been minus 20, we haven’t been able to see in front of us where our feet are actually landing and the wind has been incredibly strong up to 30 knots or 60km an hour which was quite scary for me,” she said.
Step by step, across 50km a day, for 26 gruelling days, she ran through these harsh conditions, continually testing both her mental and physical strength.
“I wasn’t expecting mentally to be so emotional through this experience. There has been, particularly in the first week, a lot of tears,” she said.
To deal with the fear of those extreme polar conditions, and the physical demands of running so far each day, she relied on the care of her support team, and inner strength she had built up during a long history of ultramarathon running.
“Rather than thinking, ‘Oh my gosh I have got to run 1,300km in Antarctica and I am going to be here for days to come when I really just want to jump on the next plane out,’ it was about going, ‘What can I do in these next few minutes?’ or ‘Let’s just do this one loop’,” she explained.
And by breaking down the huge challenge, bit by bit she made it closer to the record books.
Until finally on Friday Australian time, in front of her husband and those based in Antarctica, she crossed that final finish line to loud cheers and some waiting bottles of bubbles.
A moment the distance runner said she’d never forget.
“I really wanted to explore what was possible for me and what was possible for females and this is an incredible location to do it,” she said.
She hopes her epic run inspires Australian women and girls to get involved in sport.
“My message is we are capable of so much, particularly in sport, so I think we need to go out and give things a go because we will surprise ourselves,” she said.
But for now, it’s time to head home to Melbourne to celebrate with her family and friends, and enjoy some well earned rest.