Three years ago Rachel Sklar decided to run her first marathon. The ghostwriter from Thornhill had a background in the combat sport of Muay Thai but was far from an experienced runner. That all changed following her first race in 2016. Eight months after her marathon debut, Sklar challenged herself to a 50km trail ultra, and she hasn't looked back.

This year, Sklar is setting a much bigger challenge for herself: to race 12 ultra marathons in 12 countries over 12 months. Throughout 2019, she will travel to 5 continents, covering over 1,300 kilometres on foot. Her destinations will range from desert climates, to snow capped mountains, to tropical rainforests, to regions with active volcanoes. Sklar hopes that her journey will inspire others to set grand goals and to trek boldly into the unknown.