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Few brands are as lucky as we are to have such a brilliant group of female athletes who continue to inspire us every day with their incredible achievements.
While we champion them throughout the year, we’d like to use International Women’s Day on March 8th, to raise the profile of these phenomenal women up a little bit more.
Nicky Spinks after finishing the 205-mile Tor des Geants race through the Italian Alps.
INOV8 ambassador and ultra-runner Nicky Spinks is in a league of her own. The cancer survivor who is now in her early 50s, is showing no signs of slowing down, having recently become the first person ever to run doubles of each of the Classic 3 British 24-hour Rounds. Each of the rounds is, in themselves, a mammoth undertaking – seeing mountain runners attempting to run between 58 and 66 miles over remote mountainous terrain, ascending upwards of 27,000ft in a circuit of the designated peaks. Very few manage to attempt one round, let alone all 3, doubling each of them is something most of us can’t even comprehend!
Nicky Spinks on her 116-mile Double Ramsay Round in the Scottish mountains.
Earlier in 2019, Nicky took on the infamous Barkley Marathons. A race of over 100 miles through muddy, mountainous terrain in Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee, USA. Since it’s inception in 1986, only 15 people have ever finished the race within the time limit. A woman has yet to finish. In 2019, the race again took no prisoners and there were no finishers. Nicky and fellow runner, Stephanie Case, were the last two women standing (watch the film here).
As if that wasn’t enough for one year, Nicky went onto complete the notorious Tor des Geants, a non-stop race of over 330km (205 mile) and 24,000-plus metres of ascent (78,000ft) in the Italian Alps. Read more here.
Nicky has won numerous events, holding various long-distance running records. She held the womens’ records for all three of the UK’s 24-hour rounds (Bob Graham, Ramsay Round and Paddy Buckley) until 2016 when fellow INOV8 ambassador Jasmin Paris broke them.
While Nicky’s athletic accomplishments are enough to inspire even the most hardy, her outlook on life is what we really admire. When asked why she sets herself such challenges she replies with “We have only been gifted with one life and I want to make the most of mine. I also want to help people make the most of theirs”. Nicky devotes her free time to helping coach runners and juniors, and to raise money for Odyssey in order to help people get back on their way after having cancer. You can help support her via her JustGiving page.
Nicky’s strength, determination and grit are an inspiration to us all. She seems to get stronger and better with age and we can’t wait to see what challenge she’ll take on next.
NICKY’S FAVOURITE KIT: MUDCLAW G 260 with Graphene-Grip, aggressive grip that is perfect for the soft mud and wet rock she encounters on the fells.
Jasmin finishing the Spine Race – Jan 2019
The ultra-running mum made headlines around the world in January 2019 when she became the first-ever woman to win the 268-mile Spine Race outright while setting a new overall course record. And, as if 268 miles down the mountainous backbone of England in the dead of winter isn’t tough enough, she did it in just 83hrs 12mins, completely obliterating the previous best time (set by male runner Eoin Keith) by more than 12 hours.
Jasmin, who was still breastfeeding at the time of the race and expressed milk at checkpoints, caught the attention of the international press with her phenomenal achievement, becoming the first INOV8 ambassador (and perhaps first-ever ultra-runner) to be interviewed by Vogue! We certainly never expected to see our PROTEC-SHELL waterproof jacket gracing the web pages of Vogue!
35-year-old Jasmin, who gave birth to her daughter just 14 months before the race is not a professional, full-time athlete, but instead a down-to-earth, modest mum-of-one with incredible talent and phenomenal strength, both physically and mentally.
Jasmin Paris reunited with daughter at the finish of the Spine Race
Later in the same year, Jasmin went on to complete the La Petite Trotte à Léon (PTL) with her husband Konrad Rawlik and friend Jim Mann. At roughly 290km, with 24 000m of ascent – the PTL is no small undertaking. It traverses through the alps, crossing between France, Italy and Switzerland. Read the full account on Jasmin’s Blog here.
Endless climbs on the PTL – a route which weaves through the alps in France, Italy and Switzerland.
Jasmin is no stranger to the podium, to name just a few, she has won the British Fell Running Championships twice, the 2016 Skyrunner World Series (Extreme series), and she holds the record for the fastest women’s time on the Bob Graham Round and the Paddy Buckley Round. She also held the fastest overall time for the Ramsay Round in Scotland until Es Tresidder beat it in the summer of 2019 by a mere minute (in the true nature of the sport, Jasmin was by Es’s side, supporting him on the hill as he attempted to take the record from her). This incredible athlete is paving a new way forward for women in the sport.
Another tough climb conquered for Jasmin Paris on her way to a stunning new Ramsay Round record in the Scottish mountains. Photo by Finlay Wild
Dani Speegle competes at Strength in Depth UK 2019 Photo: Pete Williamson
This influential crossfitter from Melbourne, Florida has had a meteoric rise since she first stepped foot in a box. From a relatively unknown athlete in 2018, she caught the world’s attention by topping the US leaderboard in qualifying for the 2019 CrossFit Games. Her results in the 2019 Open qualifying placed her first in the US and 5th worldwide – an enormous step up from 2017 and 2016 when she globally ranked 80th and 216th respectively.
It is not only her achievements but her approach to the sport and competition that we find inspiring. Despite her newfound fame, Dani keeps a level head when it comes to competing, admitting to still getting butterflies before each competition. Asked what advice she’d give aspiring crossfitters, she says it is to smile and enjoy the journey. “One day you’ll look back and you won’t believe where you started and it’ll happen in the blink of an eye. Capture each training day and be proud of each step you take towards your goal – it’ll make the end goal so much sweeter,” she says. Dani believes it is important to remember that you love what you are doing and whatever the outcome of the workout is, you are doing it for YOU!
We are looking forward to seeing where the future takes this incredible athlete.
DANI’S FAVOURITE KIT: Her pair of F-LITE G 300 training shoes with Graphene-Grip
Dani on the F-LITE G 300 shoot in Miami, Feb 2020
Ida, with Leon Kofoed and Nikolaj Dam, after winning the team event at the OCRWC 2019.
Ida Mathilde Steengaard has us in awe of her never-ending Obstacle Course Racing accomplishments. The modest athlete from Denmark, who has trained as an environmental engineer, has had more than 50+ podiums behind her name in race-series worldwide, spanning from USA, Canada, Germany, Belgium, UK, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Nederlands.
At the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships in 2019, Ida was the only person to podium 4 times in the same weekend, with her and her fellow Danish athletes, Leon Kofoed and Nikolaj Dam, winning the elite Team event.
Team INOV8 Denmark on the podium at the OCRWC 2019
Nikolaj, Ida and Leon crossing the finish line
Ida has struggled with crippling asthma since the age of two, having only been able to take up sport properly at the age of 22. She had never dreamt about being able to compete at an elite level and now uses her experience to inspire others to believe in themselves, push their barriers and strive to achieve more than they have ever believed possible. She hosts boot camps in Spain, Denmark & Malta with a focus on inspiring and uplifting women who’d like to live a more active lifestyle and partake in OCR events.
IDA’S FAVOURITE KIT: X-TALON G 235 light, fast and super-grippy shoes featuring revolutionary graphene-enhanced outsoles for the world’s toughest grip.
Sarah won the Mountain Running World Cup in 2019 | Photo: WMRA
Cumbrian-based athlete and INOV8 ambassador, Sarah McCormack blows us away with the way she destroys the steepest inclines without even seeming to break a sweat! Her humble nature belies her awe-inspiring athletic feats. The mountain runner, who has represented Ireland on an international level no less than 25 times, has recently won the 2019 Mountain Running World Cup. She is also a qualified ecologist, professional running coach and entrepreneur (she and her partner – fellow INOV8 ambassador – Paul Tierney run Missing Link Coaching).
Despite training and competing at an elite level, Sarah always finds time to support those around her. She is the first person to encourage others to discover the joys of fell and mountain running, with many finding their confidence in the fells thanks to her patience and guidance.
Sarah lives with her partner Paul Tierney and their two border collies, Quilla and Lupo, in a shepherd’s hut in Windermere, the English Lake District. All 4 are frequent visitors to the INOV8 head office in Staveley, and treasured members of our team. For more on Sarah’s achievements, read her blog.
Sarah with her partner Paul, after he broke the Wainwright record in 2019 (read more). Sarah supported him throughout the challenge, which lasted over 6 consecutive days | Photo: Stephen Wilson
Victoria Wilkinson flying over the rocky trails at the Skyrunning World Championships. Photo: Olivier Vin
INOV8 ambassador Victoria Wilkinson is a mountain and fell running champion who continues to inspire with her unwavering drive and determination. She proves that no matter what the setback, you can come back even stronger.
Victoria’s first big achievement in an international vest was at the age of 19, when she won the junior race at the 1997 World Mountain Running Championship, held in the Czech Republic. Victoria has gone on to represent England and Great Britain in numerous European Mountain Running Championships and World Mountain Running Championships since.
A knee injury interrupted her running career, but rather than be defeated, in true ‘Victoria’ spirit, she simply turned her focus to cyclo-cross, winning the national cyclo-cross series and competing with success on the international stage for years to come.
Victoria on her way to a new course record in the Ben Nevis Race. Photo www.sportpicturescymru.co.uk
She returned to running in 2006 and has gone on to achieve countless race wins, international honours and broken lots of records along the way.
In 2018, at the age of 40 (so officially a ‘veteran’ in fell running) she had the most incredible season – breaking many long-standing women’s course records at fell and mountain running races across the UK, including the Ben Nevis record which had stood since Pauline Haworth set it in 1984. (watch iRunFar video interview).
This inspirational athlete has proven time and again that you can overcome obstacles and bounce-back stronger than ever before.
VICTORIA’S FAVOURITE KIT: ALL TERRAIN GLOVE, a lightweight glove designed for racing on cold days. The silicone pattern on the palms gives Victoria good grip on the rock.
View Women’s Trail Running Shoes
Abelone during the Ice Ultra 2019, which she went on to win.
INOV8 ambassador Abelone Lyng, an ultra-runner hailing from Scandinavia, took the women’s win at the grueling 230km Ice Ultra across the Arctic wilderness in Feb 2019. The 230km multi-day stage race, which starts and finishes in the north of Sweden, sees competitors racing across snow and ice whilst being exposed to temperatures as low as -35C.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the fact that this young mum-of-two only started running in 2016. She admitted doing research on the race that had left her excited but scared. “What if anything went wrong? If it’s -35C you don’t have much time before you turn into ice,” she said. Never one to turn down a challenge, this inspiring ultra-runner started to prepare and train for the race, thinking she would only be ready to do it in 2020. Not only was she ready in 2019, but she exceeded all expectations, placing 1st lady and 4th overall.
Since her Ice Ultra win Abelone has competed in many long-distance events, including most recently The Coastal Challenge in 2020. She placed 4th woman in the 236km multi-day race along the coast of Costa Rica. Abelone balances her training with working full-time as a staff nurse and looking after her young family.
Abelone having fun while training for the Ice Ultra
Abelone speaks about the event as the hardest week of running she’s ever had. “By the end of day 3, I was hurting and found it especially hard knowing we had over 60km to run the following day. But the scenery and the love of running made me push through. I couldn’t DNF, even if I had to walk,” she added.
ABELONE’S FAVOURITE KIT: STORMSHELL WATERPROOF JACKET which keeps her dry and protected while training throughout the year in Norway.
Abelone Lyng training for the Ice Ultra
Another incredible Obstacle Course Racer, INOV8 ambassador and Czech national Zuzana Kocumova is one of the world’s most modest, talented and balanced athletes on the scene. She has no fewer than two Spartan World Championship titles to her name, a Spartan Trifecta World Championship, an OCR World Championship win and numerous other European titles. Described on the Spartan website as the “best female Spartan racer in the world”, Zuzana is one seriously tough competitor.
Zuzana competing. Photo: Denik | Zebranek Petr
It is hard to imagine an athlete of her accomplishment fell into OCR by chance, initially declining a place in her first event as she “didn’t like mud”. Zuzana, who went on to win the event, approaches her achievements with maturity that belies her age. For the 39-year-old, winning isn’t everything, what is important is enjoying what you.
Zuzana has an impressive history of sporting achievements, having joined the Czech National Nordic (cross-country) Ski Team at the age of 17 and competing internationally at the top level until retiring in 2001. With her experience, comes wisdom – she is a firm believer in the importance of a healthy lifestyle and a strong advocate of a balanced approach. She believes in training smarter, not harder, and listening to your body. In a culture where we are often told to push harder, ignore the pain and grit it out, here is an athlete who isn’t afraid to defy the norm, listen to her body, train only when she wants and still dominate out on the course!
Zuzana training at home in the Czech Republic
ZUZANA’S FAVOURITE KIT: X-TALON 212 a super-lightweight, fast-draining shoe with aggressive rubber studs that grip in mud and over wet, slippery obstacles.
INOV8 ambassador and US ultra runner, Amy Rusiecki, visiting the English fells – home of inov-8
INOV8 ambassador Amy Rusiecki is an elite ultra runner and race director hailing from the northeastern USA. Amy, who has been running her entire life, started out with orienteering when she was only six years old before moving onto cross country running and then transitioning to road racing (during which time she escaped to the trails to train).
Once she learned that others trained AND raced on the trails, she says she found her community – and we think they were lucky to find her too! Amy has represented the USA three-times, having completed over 82 ultra marathons, winning over 33 of them. If anyone knows trail and ultra running, it is Amy. Not only an accomplished runner herself, she is married to another successful ultra runner (Brian Rusiecki) and she is the race director of the prestigious Vermont 100 Endurance Race and Seven Sisters Trail Race.
Amy Rusiecki getting support from her husband Brian at the Vermont 100
It isn’t just her athletic accomplishments that grab our attention, but Amy’s drive and strength too. In her experience as an ultra runner Amy has learnt to push through numerous hardships to achieve success, and being a race director is no easy task either.
Amy has been faced with a lot of negativity alongside the constant challenge of trying to be taken seriously as a female in a leadership position. Her strength and perseverance, and her passion to share ultra running with the wider community whilst letting nothing stand in her way, is a lesson to us all. In a sporting world largely dominated by men, the world needs more women like Amy, and we are proud to have this phenomenal woman flying the INOV8 flag for us in the States!
Amy at the Vermont 100 Endurance Race – an event at which she and her husband are both race directors
AMY’S FAVOURITE KIT: ROCLITE 275 – a versatile trail running shoe which she says works perfectly on the rugged terrain she encounters in the northeastern US
