Yolanda Holder - Power walker, 2x Guinness World Record holder & Completing the Self Transcendence 3100 Mile Race!

Yolanda Holder is a professional Ultra Marathon Walker.

In 2019 at the Six Days in the Dome in Milwaukee she set a World & American Age Group Record 413 Miles (60-64).  Also, in 2019, Yolanda is the first African American Woman and second African American to earn a US Race Walk Centurion #94 and the oldest person (61 years young) to race walk 100 miles in under 24 hours (23:52:17).  

Yolanda’s a 2-time Guinness World Record holder for “Most Marathons Completed in a Calendar Year”, finishing a staggering 106 marathons/ultras in 2010 and breaking her own record in 2012 finishing 120 marathons/ultras.  Yolanda is the first American Woman and African American to Run or Walk over 100 marathons in a calendar year and the first woman in the world to ever do it twice.

Yolanda’s accomplishments are amazing, at the 2017 Sri Chinmony Self Transcendence 3100 Mile Race she set a World Record first Pedestrian (walker) finishing in 51 Days, 17 hours and 13 seconds and at the 2014 Ultra Marathon USA & World Championship in Anchorage Alaska met her goal of power walking 400 miles in the Six Day event placing 3rd female and 10th overall. Yolanda is a finisher of six, Six Day Races podium on all six and the American Woman Record holder 10 Day Race with 622 Miles. She has power walker over 540 lifetime marathons/ultras. 

Yolanda is a Masters/Senior Athlete at her athletic peak setting and breaking World and American records with no plans on stopping. 

Yolanda is also a wife, mother of two grown children, inspirational speaker and author.  

Show notes

• Yolander introduces herself
• Running her first marathon at 40 in 1998
• New challenges at 50 - 50 marathons in 50 weeks…
• Growing up doing dancing but never being an athlete 
• Over 540 marathon ultras!
• Dealing with the backlash of being a walker in a runners world 
• Getting her first Guinness World Record in 2010 
• Getting depressed in 2011 from the negative feedback
• How she got the name - the walking Diva 
• The Self-Transcendence 3100 mile race
• The logistics of the race
• The reasons why she wanted to do this one of a kind race
• Crossing the finish line and transitioning back to normal life 
• Getting the nutrition right
• Top tips and advice for you
• Quick Fire Questions
• Final words of advice to motivate and inspire you 

Social Media

Website - https://www.yolandaholder.com  

Twitter- @WalkingDiva365  

Instagram - @yolandaholder 

Facebook  -  @yolanda.holder  

The Self-Transcendence 3100 mile race is the world's longest certified footrace. In 1996 Sri Chinmoy created this event as a 2,700-mile race. At the award ceremony that year he declared that the 1997 edition would be extended to 3,100 miles.