Sports
Sports Challenges: From First Marathons to Open Water
Gabi Mafra and Thaís share stories of resilience, 26.2-mile debuts, and how athletic goals empower daily life.
Tackling your first marathon or swimming in open water demands courage and patience. In a candid conversation, female runners share how endurance challenges transformed their confidence on and off the course.
Stepping up in distance or taking on a new endurance discipline is a process that blends respect for your limits, patience, and the drive to test yourself. Whether preparing to run your first 26.2 miles or deciding to brave the open sea, major athletic challenges often teach as much about planning as they do about mental resilience.
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A gradual build toward 26.2 miles
For Gabi Mafra, transitioning to the marathon was anything but rushed. After more than five years of coached running and racking up half marathons, the decision to debut at the full distance was sparked by the desire to share the journey with friends at the Maratona de Buenos Aires.
Focused on longevity and avoiding shortcuts, her preparation included an intense strength-training block—playfully dubbed "four years in 40 days" with coach Igão—targeting lower-body strength to safeguard against injuries. Even when faced with personal hurdles during the training cycle and long runs under torrential rain in São Paulo, consistency became the anchor that carried her across the finish line feeling confident and strong.
Annual challenges: From open water to mountains
For Thaís, motivation stemmed from a personal tradition: taking on a different sports challenge every birthday. To overcome a deep fear of ocean swimming, she signed up for the iconic Fuga das Ilhas event in Barra do Sahy, completing the 1,800-meter open-water crossing after three months of training exclusively in a pool.
Her bucket list of milestones includes iconic races like the Volta da Pampulha, the Meia Maratona do Rio—tackled with grit after dealing with patellar chondropathy late in training—and even a grueling road cycling climb up to ski resorts near Santiago, Chile, battling rain and freezing temperatures.
Autonomy and strength beyond sports
More than medals or finishing times, crossing finish lines builds resilience that extends into everyday life. As both athletes emphasize, the greatest reward in endurance sports is gaining autonomy, the courage to explore trails and travel independently, and the conviction that body and mind can take on and achieve new goals.
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