An Air Force Sergeant from Mannum was recently the first Australian to cross the line at an epic six-stage ultra-marathon across the Sahara Desert.
Shard Malchow, who now resides in Wagga Wagga, competed in a gruelling endurance challenge in April 12-22 ending up in the 72nd spot out of 867 competitors.
Runners must carry everything they need for The Marathon Des Sables from start to finish. Each stage is a different length, peaking at 85km for the long stage and covering 250km in total.
The Sergeant says the challenge was a test even for the most elite athletes and military members.
“The conditions were something that no matter how much training you do, you can never prepare yourself for 50+ degree heat, the sandstorms were absolutely relentless, we were waking up in the middle of the night, choking on sand, it was like nothing I’ve experienced before,” he told ARN’s Jennie Lenman and Adam Connelly this morning.
One of the motivating factors for Sergeant Malchow was to raise awareness mental health, along with funds for the Black Dog Institute. He managed to raised over $3,000 during his endeavor.
Hear Sergeant Shard Malchow speaking with ARN’s Adam Connelly and Jennie Lenman via the audio play window below:
