The symbolism of summiting a peak is not hard to identify: the physical effort required to climb to the top, the mental strength to push on when the going gets tough – perhaps even during these Covid-19 times, the very act of reaching a high point, away from the physical limitations of illness and lockdowns, a place from where you can see the possibilities of the world far beyond.
We’re stoked to feature two very different but equally gruelling mountain adventures in the latest issue of Like the Wind, both of which took place this summer. Kieren d’Souza aimed to summit 10 6,000m+ peaks in the arid, high-altitude Ladakh region of India. His was a journey rooted in connection with the mountains themselves. Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, intrepid athlete Stefanie Bishop wanted to set a new Fastest Known Time for a woman to conquer all 48 of the 4,000ft+ peaks in the White Mountains range in New Hampshire, USA.
Back down to earth, our co-founder and creative director Julie Freeman Kummer investigates the impact on runners of Long Covid, the continuing and chronic illness that affects a significant proportion of Covid-19 sufferers, preventing a complete recovery. Her in-depth feature meets those living with Long Covid every day, as well as looking into the work being done to offer hope and treatment to sufferers.
The backbone of Like the Wind is of course stories about running – why we run, where we run, who we encounter. In this issue we travel the world – from the Sahara desert, where a relatively unknown marathon takes place in order to draw attention to the situation in which Saharawi population find themselves, to the back streets of Dartford in Kent and a low-key marathon supported by an dedicated community, via London, California, the UK coast and a host of other destinations.
We also take time to celebrate two running greats: Titus Mamabolo, holder of the world masters marathon record, whose career was inextricably intertwined with the Apartheid regime in South Africa, and Ron Hill, whose determination and devotion to the sport made him into a household name across the world.
We’d love to share our stories of the power and positivity of running with you – order your copy of issue 29 here
