Sophie Power broke the record for the most distance covered by a woman on a treadmill in 48 hours at the National Running Show in Birmingham, England. To achieve this feat she covered over 365 km (226.8 miles) in just two days.
Before becoming an endurance athlete, Power had a career in investment banking. Shortly after she got married, she was laid off from her job. During a time where she felt lost, Power traveled to Thailand to clear her head.
Two months later, she returned home and signed up for Marathon des Sables, which covers over 103 miles, after a friend convinced her. With no prior experience, she competed and found a passion she didn’t know she had. Now she has competed in over 50 ultramarathons and qualified for the 24-Hour World Championships last year.
Power first rose to fame in 2018 when a photo surfaced of her breastfeeding her three-month-old baby during the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, a 106-mile race, while a male competitor laid on the ground. Since then, she has created her foundation sheRaces, which advocates for better conditions and assistance for women competing in ultra races.
Power said, “I had all these little girls on the treadmill next to me watching, and I was thinking, ‘They are reassessing what they think women can do.’”