Matt Dionne | Assistant News Editor
Featured image: Thanh Vu, pictured above, credits her education in helping her completion of an ultramarathon. | Courtesy of York Media
It’s not a surprise that Schulich graduates have a passion to run things. However, Thanh Vu is taking that passion literally.
Vu decided to compete in the 4 Deserts Marathon Race Series, one of the toughest competitions in the running world.
After graduating from Schulich with a BBA in 2012 and interning at HSBC in Vietnam, Vu got a job working for Bloomberg in Singapore.
Not long after landing the job, Vu chose to leave business altogether, choosing instead to follow her passion of running.
Spanning four continents, the 4 Deserts Marathon Race Series takes place in the Namib desert, along the Atlantic coast of Africa; the Gobi desert in Mongolia; the Atacama desert in Chile; and the frozen tundra of Antarctica.
To complete the challenge, competitors travel 250 kilometers over a span of seven days at each destination and must complete all four races within 12 months.
Prior to her achievement, no female competitor of Asian heritage had completed the gruelling course.
“Each of the deserts had such different characteristics that I felt like a novice every time. I have tremendous gratitude for the chance to be the first Vietnamese and the first female from Asia to complete the challenge,” said Vu.
She also emphasized how her time at Schulich provided her with the skills to tackle the issue of sponsorship and preparation.
“Each race required focus and perseverance. My background in business helped tremendously in terms of positioning myself to sponsors, as well as the financial and logistical preparation, which is parallel to starting an entrepreneurial business,” she said.
Having completed the course, Vu hopes to bring exposure to the sport in Vietnam and to inspire the next generation to embrace opportunities.
“The learning curves can be steep and the road can be long, but just like any endurance race, as long as you don’t stop, you will find a way to reach your goal,” she said.
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