– When everyone around me has failed, I must at least not fail myself. I use that as a weapon. It is very important to bring the winner home. That’s what Gabriella Mathisen says to news, just after she finished the Atacama Crossing ultra race. It is a 250 kilometer long desert race in Chile. On the way, she fought through sandstorms, flesh wounds and bacterial infection, and she did so exclusively for a reason. Stands up for himself Mathisen had a slightly different upbringing than other athletes. She grew up in a home with neglect, drugs, violence and poverty. As a 12-year-old, she herself became addicted to drugs, and then ended up in a life on the streets as a prostitute. HARD SKIN: Gabriella Mathisen. Here from Chile. Photo: PRIVATE – I met men who were mean and violent, but there were many mechanisms that kicked in when you first became a prostitute. I got into a car, slept with an old man and then people forgot about it, says Mathisen to news. After a syringe was misplaced in her right arm, she had to amputate. – Being a prostitute has been high on the list of shame, but now I use my story to get rid of that taboo and that shame. It was extreme, but I survived it, she says. Flesh sores and sandstorm In 2016 she ran her first marathon, and last year she took part in the Namib race in Namibia, finishing fourth out of 10 runners in the women’s class. During this year’s desert race in Atacama, she aimed to be in the top three, but that race was a lot tougher than she had expected. The race itself consisted of four marathons, an ultra race, a rest day, before the final leg reached the finish line. After stage two, Mathisen’s feet were full of sores. – Every time I put my foot on the ground, it felt like I got something through my foot. It was really painful, she says. This is what Mathisen’s feet looked like. A lot of bandaging was needed. Fortunately, the tape stayed on. When Mathisen had to attach a plaster during the race, it dried before she could put it on. Fortunately, she received good follow-up from medical personnel, both during and after the race. During the ultra race, a strong wind storm struck, reaching up to 100 meters per second. Fortunately, Mathisen was able to seek shelter, but an athlete sleeping in the same tent as Mathisen had to break after he was hit by a table. The athletes were later evacuated from the desert. and it was counted as the day of rest in the race. Before Mathisen had to compete on the last leg, the doctors thought she should break. She was struck by a bacterial infection, but still chose to finish. – On the longest stage I threw up and was completely white in the face. But the body tolerates more than one might think, says Mathisen. EVACUATED: Here the athletes used the rest day, as a result of an aggressive sandstorm. Photo: PRIVAT New layer of skin The 34-year-old is still number 10 out of 37 starters in the women’s class, and number 51 out of 130 starters. He fought his way through a total of 3366 meters of altitude. – Although it is extreme, this is the greatest experience I have had. It was so overwhelming and cool, she says. Dry air and stabbing in the chest did nothing when the landscape looked like this. Mathisen on his way through the desert. Extreme mountains and volcanoes, Mathisen thought, were a beautiful sight. So beautiful that she had to shed a few tears along the way. This is what it looks like in the Atacama desert. Mathisen loves nature experiences like this, and characterizes it as an adventure. Even she thinks it’s surreal to think about. – It wasn’t exactly the case that my body was super initially, but I really have been strong and trained for it, she says. And it is precisely because of her background that Mathisen completed the most extreme race she has ever been through. – When you grow up with the idea that those who love you in life are also the ones who hurt you the most, it becomes a big betrayal. That’s why I always promise myself to carry it out, says Mathisen. The next goal is the Antarctica trail race in 2024, a 13-day long race through Antarctica. She also relishes the idea of taking part in the Ultra Jungle, a race in the Amazon rainforest. Why does she do this? – I have known all the extremes of life, and gained a new layer of skin. I have become wiser, stronger, and learned that when things go wrong, you actually manage to deal with it. It is a great experience. It makes me happy, she says.
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Gabriella (34) was a prostitute and drug user – uses it as a weapon in sport – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
