Andrejs Runs 7 Marathons On 7 Continents In 7 Days

Over a seven-day period in the middle of November 2024, I will run a marathon on each of the 7 continents. This journey will start in icy Antarctica and finish 168 hours later in sunny & hot Miami, USA. Besides the physiological toll of running 295km in a single week, I will have to endure harsh & unpredictable weather, as well as navigate severe fatigue & sleep deprivation. By going through this ordeal, I want to inspire people and the next generation to build a resilient mindset, tune the lifestyle for high performance and lead an active & adventurous life.

Completing such an extreme challenge is as difficult mentally as it is physically. In fact, mental health is a cause that is very close to my heart. It’s something I personally struggled with years ago while transitioning from a professional athlete lifestyle (and I know many of my peers do). However, things like depression & anxiety are not something only elite athletes face. Emotional pressure, hectic lifestyle, conflicting demands and resulting fatigue – all of it is universal and nobody is immune to it.

I personally believe that conscious exercise is a tool to a better mental health. When done right, it improves our health, lifts us up, fills with energy & purpose, so that we’re able to show up better across the board – for family, work and personal projects.

I plan to document my journey via weekly video updates and share firsthand what it takes to prepare for and go through such a challenge as a busy working individual, not a pro athlete. I’ll put my own resilience to the test in the real world – with kids, family, wife, job and all the daily obligations. Not through a ‘synthetic lens’ focused only on training & recovery. I believe through physical challenges we can rediscover and reinvent ourselves to live a healthier happier life. And with my example I want to awaken a resilient athlete that lives in every one of us.

*** My story ***

The story of my resilience begins at the end of my professional kayaking career. Just like many of my peers and training partners, I was struggling to step down the fastlane that is the pro athlete’s life. Truth is, I wanted to keep going, but the big question was how I will fit all the volume and hard workouts into my increasingly packed lifestyle (work, family, studies, basic home tasks, etc.). Especially, as my work required long-term international travel and all my routines were out of the window.

I couldn’t believe that such an intense career full of ups and downs can end so abruptly. Within a year after taking on corporate roles and/or starting a family many of my peers completely distanced themselves from sports. I went through a few years of transition that felt depressing as well, because sport has been such a big part of my life for so long. I always felt there’s a better way. One that does not involve abandoning that active lifestyle which for many (myself included) is a source of emotional strength and even to some extent part of an identity.

I was not ready to give up on sports and bit by bit was able to bring my life back together. My answer was to find a new sport and a purpose that was bigger than just me. For an athlete at the peak of his career starting from the ground up is either devastating or liberating. I chose to be liberated.

It turned out that there was so much more to learn about high performance and how it can be translated into everyday life. Optimizing the lifestyle is not only for elite athletes to produce peak performance. It’s for everyone who wants to perform in their own way - even an everyday person trying to balance a busy life.

That reinvention journey led me to create a blog (The Athlete Blog) and ultimately write a book (The Resilient Athlete). Turns out, medals, records and driving the slow lane with poor mental health are not all that’s left at the end of a professional career. There’s a bigger world out there called lifelong fitness and resilient athletes are ones who are best adapted for it.

*** The challenge ***

I am completing this ordeal as part of The Great World Race™. An extreme endurance challenge that captures the spirit of adventure & resilience and is a true test of endurance, determination and grit.

Here’s a glimpse of how my week will look like:

*** Our journey ***

It’s an incredible journey and an opportunity to spread the message of how athletic resilience can positively impact everyday life and well-being. Physically AND mentally.

Among the many reasons for documenting this journey are:

I haven’t been more excited about working towards something in my entire life! This vision fuels me to show up every day, put the training in and spread the message further. But I also realize that I can’t achieve this without your support.

Participating in this challenge comes with a significant cost. While I am contributing as much as I can, I need your help to make this dream a reality. I created this gofundme page to raise money for this incredible journey.

It starts small. A simple act of kindness can make a difference for this endeavour. Every contribution brings me one step closer to achieving this incredible feat. Here’s how your support can make a difference:

**€10** can help cover daily essentials before & during the challenge.

**€50** can help buy required equipment & nutrition to complete the challenge.

**€100** can contribute to travel and accommodation costs.

Every euro counts, and your generosity will fuel my spark as I complete each marathon. Together, we can make the vision come true.

I am inviting you to join me on this adventure. Besides the updates, I’ll share personal videos that will give insight into my training and preparation for this incredible challenge.

*** About me ***

I am Andrejs Birjukovs, a multisport athlete with a background in swimming, kayaking, marathon & trail running, as well as long-distance triathlon. Throughout my professional athlete and coaching career, I have learned the value of athletic resilience and reinvention through exercise & lifestyle changes.

Over the past 20+ years I can say I’ve done it all. Won races and finished in the second half of the pack. Felt on top of the world and suffered from fatigue, mental & physical burnout. Forced to start from the beginning due to overtraining and injury. Progressed with minimal training and plateaued despite putting in many hours of training.

This journey across different sports inspired me to develop a training methodology that, apart from results, also focuses on being healthy, happy and full of energy. I use it to coach others and share in my book ‘The Resilient Athlete’ to help to create an ultimate athletic experience – one where physical and emotional states are in balance with purpose. And the best part? It elevates other areas of life as well and I have personally witnessed it over my 10+ years of experience in leadership positions in multinational corporations.

I believe that resilience is a force that drives someone to push through the hard bits and simply refuse to quit - neither in a race nor in life. It’s that secret sauce allowing an athlete to show up every day, put in the work, progress over the years and do it all with passion.

On November 15th, I’ll be putting my own resilience to the test and hope you’ll join me on this adventure.

Thank you for supporting me on this journey,

Andrejs

#resilientathlete