A super fit Balloch mum has completed her toughest marathon yet in Antarctica as part of a gruelling challenge to conquer marathons in all seven continents.
Fitness instructor Debbie Savage went on a 10,000-mile journey, spending 16 hours in the sky and two days on board a vessel, to reach the southernmost continent, which is the site of the South Pole.
The event means the 45-year-old has now run marathons in six continents and has just one more to go in South America.
She told the Lennox Herald : “Antarctica was awesome, it was honestly so amazing getting to travel somewhere so far away to do what I love.
“We covered 3,000 feet of elevation and it was honestly the hardest race we’ve taken part in.
“It was very tough mentally.
“But it was as brilliant as it was brutal and the icing on the cake was seeing penguins as we crossed the finish line.”
Debbie took part in the 26-mile race alongside Shandon friend Jan Fellowes, who came in first place in the over 60s, as well as Paul Thompson, who won the event’s half marathon.
The friends first landed in Argentina where they spent three nights in Buenos Aires before heading to Antarctica on a two-day voyage.
Debbie said: “It was really humid in Buenos Aires so we went from one extreme to the other.
“It was bright and sunny, though absolutely freezing.
“There were people there from warmer climates who found it hard but I think the cold Scottish weather definitely helped us with the training!
“Everyone was buzzing to be there and some said they had been trying to get on the waiting list for it for five years.
“It was amazing. There was 180 of us there from all over the world and I’ve kept in touch with a woman I met from Brazil.
“It was an incredible experience. I feel privileged to have visited somewhere so special.”
She told how seeing the devastating effects of climate change was a shock, explaining: “Seeing all the icebergs were phenomenal. They were so vast.
“We were shown pictures of how the glaciers looked five years ago compared to what they are like now and that was really eye-opening.
“It seems so far away when you’re seeing it on the TV at home but to see it in person was really shocking.
“I’m actually going to be going into my son’s school to show them photographs and show them the effects climate change is having.”
With over 50 marathons under her belt, Debbie is no novice when it comes to competing in races all over the world.
Inspired over 25 years ago by a newspaper article about a woman who completed seven marathons across all seven continents, she decided to take on the challenge herself.
Motivated, she set out to conquer the World’s Marathon Majors with best friend and fellow runner Jan – competing in six marathons covering New York, Chicago, Boston, Berlin, London and Tokyo and being one of only 7,000 people worldwide to collect the Six Star Finisher medal.
Infused with drive and determination Debbie knew the next challenge would be to cross all seven continents.
She said: “We are going to do Chile next which will be our seventh.
“We had initially been planning to go to Rio and Antarctica was going to be our seventh but we couldn’t do it because it was cancelled due to the pandemic.
“I don’t know what I’ll do with myself after the challenge is complete!”
Debbie, who runs Savage Fitness, has always loved keeping fit and told how her supportive husband Jamie and children Luke, 13, and Jack, 10, spur her on.
She also says her friends who run with her every Sunday are her biggest support crew, adding: “I’m a personal trainer and do lots of classes so I only manage to get out on a Sunday for a run.
“We go to Luss and up the Dumbarton crags. They’re a great group.
“Years ago, I used to want to get a good time but now it’s about the experience.
“I just really enjoy running.”
