The 135 Challenge Blog

Today’s coverage of women’s sports lacks depth and development. We’re missing the narrative. We’re missing the characters. We’re missing the whole story.

 
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Sports coverage needs dynamic characters.

People who love sports love more than just the game. We follow athletes and teams because we can follow the storylines. We know and identify with the characters.

  • Tom Brady, an underrated underdog turned top dog.

  • LeBron James, the redeemed king.

  • Cristiano Ronaldo — hero or heel?

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But most people don’t know the characters in women’s sports.

Media coverage of women’s sports is so slim and surface-level that unless you are already a superfan, you probably don’t know much about even the top women athletes in the world.

Without developing the characters and narrative, it’s almost impossible for the average sports fan to become invested in the stories, the characters, and the narrative of the athletes and their teams.

 
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With the 135 Challenge, I’m trying to change that.

For the next 135 days, I’m spotlighting one important woman in sports every damn day while training for the Badwater 135 mile race.

Many of these women inspire me, and I believe that if you knew more of their stories, they’d inspire you too.

My goal is to tell you who these athletes are—their athletic accomplishments & character archetypes—so you follow their stories, long after my race is run.

March 7th - July 19th, 2021

135 Badass women & 135 days of training for the Badwater 135.

While training for this year’s Badwater 135 footrace, I’m spotlighting 135 women in sports.

You better recognize.

Bobbi Gibb - The Rebel
the rebel Kelaine Conochan the rebel Kelaine Conochan

Bobbi Gibb - The Rebel

Day 100/135. In 1966, Bobbi Gibb was the first woman to finish the Boston Marathon. But you won’t see her in any recordbooks. She wasn’t even allowed to be there.

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Deena Kastor - The Brain
the brain Kelaine Conochan the brain Kelaine Conochan

Deena Kastor - The Brain

Day 84/135. To this day, Deena Kastor still holds 5 American distance running records. That kind of dominance doesn’t come from your legs. It comes from a mastery of the mind.

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Des Linden - The Underdog
the underdog Kelaine Conochan the underdog Kelaine Conochan

Des Linden - The Underdog

Day 45/135. Last week, Des Linden, the 2018 Boston Marathon champion, set her first world record. She ran her first 50K (31 miles) in under 3 hours, a 5:47/mile pace. It’s another crowning achievement in the underdog’s career.

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Shalane Flanagan - The Lover
the lover Kelaine Conochan the lover Kelaine Conochan

Shalane Flanagan - The Lover

Day 11/135. In 2017, Shalane Flanagan became the first woman to win the NYC Marathon in 40 years. A marathoner who also won Olympic bronze in the 10,000m, Flanagan is known for sacrificing everything in pursuit of her goals.

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Kathrine Switzer - The Rebel
the rebel Kelaine Conochan the rebel Kelaine Conochan

Kathrine Switzer - The Rebel

Day 7/135. Kathrine Switzer is the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon as an official entrant. But that didn’t happen without incident, as the race director assaulted Switzer and tried to physically remove her from the race. An amazing story of a rebel WITH a cause.

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Mary Keitany - The Lover
the lover Kelaine Conochan the lover Kelaine Conochan

Mary Keitany - The Lover

Day 1/135. Mary Keitany holds the world record for the women’s marathon. Since 2007, she’s taken the distance running world by storm because more than anything, she loves to run and loves to win.

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