From loathing early-morning joggers in Central Park to completing a 100-mile ultramarathon and chasing a Boston Marathon qualifier, meet Dona, a runner, nomad, and relentless force of nature.

In this episode of Pushing Horizons: Step by Step, we dive into:

• Dona’s origin story, from Italy to New York to California

• How one frustrating walk changed everything

• What it really feels like to run 100 miles in brutal heat

• Training, sacrifice, and chasing the Boston Marathon dream

• Coping with losing her home to a fire in 2024

• Balancing a high-stress job, global travel, and marathon training

• Mantras, mindset, and how running became her therapy

• How she’s now gunning for her 100th marathon, and beyond

We talk endurance, pain, purpose, and the fire it takes to rebuild from ashes, and keep running.

Keywords (baked in):
Running motivation, ultramarathon, marathon training, Boston Marathon qualifier, running mindset, running after trauma, women in endurance sports, global running community, running podcast, marathon stories, mental toughness, 100-mile race, long-distance running, overcoming adversity, couch to marathon

Follow Dona :⁠⁠ @doyouknowdona/⁠⁠

Follow Ash: ⁠⁠@ashjourneytofitness/⁠⁠

Follow Pushing Horizons : ⁠⁠@pushinghorizonsstepbystep