Extreme Adventures. Tackling the World's Toughest Races With Grit and Humor

Extreme Adventures is a rocket-fueled, heartwarming journey through curiosity, self-doubt, reinvention, and improbable triumph, where every finish line is the next starting point. Emerging from a childhood where she skipped gym class and was mystified by mathematics to a high-flying career in finance, on the outside, Beatrice Lessi seemed to be conquering the world. But inside, she was battling eating disorders and struggling to find meaning in her life.
Fast forward to her forties when on a whim Beatrice signs up for the Marathon des Sables, the grueling multi-day ultra race across the Sahara Desert. No idea how to train or prepare. Zero athletic experience. Instead Beatrice competes in the toughest footrace on earth fueled by wild curiosity and a hint of madness. What follows is an outrageous, exhilarating, and soulful transformation that takes her to Everest Base Camp, the glaciers of Antarctica, and into the heart of ultraendurance culture.
Along the way, she proves that a person doesn't need youth, talent, money, or a perfectly healthy body to live adventurously-just curiosity, guts, and a sense of humor. Extreme Adventures inspires anyone who has been told they're too old, too unfit, or just not "sporty" enough by showing them how they can achieve any goal in life. With laugh-out-loud anecdotes, honest confessions, and bold inspiration, Beatrice makes you believe that the best time to start is right now because it is never too late to seek adventure.