Meet Jacky Hunt-Broersma, a remarkable individual who's shattered expectations as an amputee ultramarathoner, endurance coach, dedicated mom, and cancer survivor. Recognised as the RRCA Road Runner of the Year, WRAL Athlete of the Year, and featured in Strong Fitness Magazine's Women to Watch in 2021, her journey is nothing short of inspirational.
In 2016, Jacky embarked on her extraordinary running odyssey. Her path to greatness was marked by a profound personal challenge—losing her leg to Ewing Sarcoma. However, she didn't let this setback define her. Instead, she set out to build an impressive portfolio of "firsts" for female amputees in trail and ultra running, even securing several world records. She's on a mission to prove the naysayers wrong and carve a path for other adaptive athletes, especially women, in the world of trail running and ultramarathons.
Among her numerous achievements, Jacky's incredible feat of running 104 marathons in 104 days stands out, raising an astounding $194,000 for Amputee Blade Runners. She's also set a new world record as the first amputee to complete a 100-mile run on a treadmill, doing so in under 24 hours (23 hours and 38 minutes).
Jacky Hunt-Broersma's remarkable journey is a testament to resilience, determination, and the power of the human spirit to overcome obstacles and achieve the extraordinary. She's not only a trailblazer but a beacon of hope and inspiration for adaptive athletes worldwide.
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Show notes
- Who is Jacky
- Living in sunny Arizona, USA for the past two years
- Growing up in South Africa
- Moving to the Netherlands in her early 20s
- Being very sports orientated and spending a lot of time outdoors
- How things have changed in South Africa
- Leaving South Africa with two suitcases and living in a new country
- Struggling to learn dutch when in the Netherlands
- Being diagnosed with cancer when living in Holland
- From diagnosis to the amputation of her leg
- Hearing the news
- Figuring out the next steps and finding out what was going to happen
- Saying goodbye to her leg
- Getting to a place of acceptance
- Wishing she had taken up running sooner
- How running helped her to accept her body how it was
- Going through denial
- Having a pity party and feeling that life was unfair
- Wanting to be normal and not wanting any pity
- Dealing with anger
- Why it’s a process
- Becoming more open about her journey and her struggles
- Taking up running and why it changed her life
- Wanting to encourage more amputees to run
- The expensive cost of a running blade ($10,000)
- Fighting the system to get funding for running blades
- Wanting to make a difference and encourage more amputees to get out and active
- Being surprised at how far she could push her body
- Wanting to push boundaries and distances in running
- Running 104 marathons in 104 days in April 2022
- Being inspired by Alyssa Clark running 95 marathons in 95 days (2021)
- Wanting to see if she could do it and not knowing how her prosthetic would hold up
- The metal side of the challenges
- Dealing with chin splits at the start of the journey
- Getting through the tough days and taking the time to celebrate the milestones and live in the moment
- Having 3 different routes to choose from
- The paperwork needed for the Guinness World Record
- Being strict about recovery and following a routine
- Running 104 marathons and raising funds for Amputee Blade Runners
- Running Boston Marathon - Para elite division
- How to follow along with Jacky on social media
- Future running plans for 2024
- Running a half marathon a day for Cancer Research (for 250 days)
- Planning to run Comrades in South Africa
- Final words of advice to inspire to you in your next challenge
Social Media
Website: www.ncrunnerjacky.com
Instagram: @ncrunnerjacky
Twitter: @ncrunnerjacky