Valentí Sanjuan: "I'll get off the plane, do a marathon in Hawaii, and get back on the plane."

BarcelonaValentí Sanjuan (Tordera, 1981) lives for sport. With millions of followers on social networks, faces challenges by adding kilometers to his legs. Now he has set himself a very ambitious challenge: from February 18 to 22 he wants to run five marathons on five different continents, in five days, traveling on commercial flights, against the clock.

— For me, sport is not a job. Sometimes it is a distraction, sometimes a necessity. And it has saved my life

How has it saved your life?

— A few years ago my mother died of cancer. It was sudden; between the diagnosis and the funeral, four weeks. At that time I was working at Catalunya Ràdio and they fired me. I spent 12 hours a day on the radio, but a crisis came and many of us who were self-employed did not continue. They did not renew our contracts. Also, I was setting up a business with some friends and it went to hell. And I lived with a girl and she left me. I was broke. I ended up owing 10 months of mortgage, they cut off my electricity, water, phone... I was so screwed that I even stole rice from a supermarket twice. And all this happened to me in less than a year, months apart. I had stress and anxiety attacks. I couldn't sleep. So I started going out for a run at three in the morning. I would go down from the Sagrada Família area along Calle Marina to the sea. And there I would think, cry, call out to the breakwaters. And I would go back up. It was a short distance, but I would end up crippled. It was a way to burn off the anxiety. And little by little, it grew. Since my mother had a list of things she wanted to do before she died that she couldn't accomplish, I decided to do the same. And I wrote down that I wanted to do an Ironman race. in Lanzarote. And so it began. I got out of the hole, I trained and finished the race, even though my friends thought it would be impossible. I trained for two months and it was nice to finish, because my sister accompanied me in the last meters. I was so tired of crying.

Were you thinking about your mother then?

— Yes, very much so. It was like she was with us. In all the challenges I have taken on since then, I always feel as if she were there.

Today, sport is a job and a way of life.

— Absolutely. In the documentaries, races and Twitch streams we make, everything revolves around sport. I can't live without doing sport. You've probably noticed; I'm a nervous wreck, I need movement.

How do you need to have a new challenge?

— It helps me a lot. The last big challenge was two years ago, which was to do a double ultraman, with the support of Juan Carlos Unzué, to raise money for the fight against ALS. Having a challenge helps me. When I don't have one, I feel less happy. Less motivated... I even gained 10 kilos, because I wasn't as motivated. If I have a challenge, I feel more alive. I think I will always look for challenges. Sometimes, in races like Titan Desert you find 75-year-old men who do it. And I clearly see that I want to be like them.

And how did the challenge of running five marathons on five continents in five days come about?

— Well, look, the challenge was born many years ago, when you think of challenges, adventures and stories. And suddenly it was like... I want to go around the ordinary world. It was impossible, but how could I get close to that idea? Well, if we have five continents, five marathons. I already had the idea in 2018, but it was difficult to find the time, the money... but a few months ago I received a proposal from Samsung and Amazon Prime to make a documentary about a watch that was coming onto the market. They asked me to push it to the limit by doing sports. And I thought about bringing back the idea of the five marathons.

You are flying commercially, with little time to spare. How have you planned it?

— I have re-done the route many times. Calculating the flights well, because when you go around the world, one day almost disappears from the calendar, but another you experience twice, with the time changes. I had to look for airports with good connections to avoid having to climb too many stairs. And places that allow you to get off the plane, leave the airport and start running. The first will be in Tokyo on February 18, where we will arrive the day before and we will be able to run through the city, but after that we will have little time. If a flight is delayed it can screw us up. On the 19th we will do the race in Honolulu, Hawaii, which, geographically, is Oceania. On the 20th in San Francisco and on the 21st in Johannesburg. And we will finish at home, on February 22, in Barcelona. The idea is to finish the 42 km crossing the Arc de Triomf, where we will have a party for everyone who wants to join me. The challenge is to finish before five in the afternoon on the 22nd, having done it in five days.

Do you already know the scenarios?

— A few. I have run in Tokyo, but not in Johannesburg. I know Cape Town, but not Johannesburg, and initially I forgot to look at details like altitude. It's a city at almost 1800 meters; this is not going to help. But the most complicated day is Honolulu. Between the time we arrive and the next flight to San Francisco, I have about seven and a half hours. And you have to go through immigration. The idea is to arrive, leave the airport and run to a volcano and come back. But if we are short on time, if necessary I'll run in the airport. Find a quiet place and do kilometers there.

Sorry to ask, but if you're short on time, can't you just shower before boarding the flight?

— If someone passes by, they will curse me, yes. We will try to make sure I can shower, looking for spaces at the airport. And if that is not possible, then go to the bathroom and do what is possible beforehand. I am only carrying a backpack. With a few changes of clothes, energy bars, batteries, a GoPro, a laptop, a spare pair of shoes... not much, since we do not want to check anything in to save time.

Who will you travel with?

— We are travelling with a cameraman, a producer and the director of the documentary we are going to make. At each place we are hiring a guide who will take us by car to the places selected for the marathon. In San Francisco we want to take a route over the bridge and the legendary climbs of the city; it could look great for the documentary. In addition, we want to post a long video on social media every day explaining how I experienced it. Not just the race, but also explaining how I experienced the trip. If the flight is late, I will be on edge. It will be about telling the whole adventure.

How do you think your body will react to so many hours of flying combined with sport?

— It's a mystery. When you're on a plane, your body changes. Sometimes you get off a plane and my ankles are swollen like my grandmother's. Fluid retention, little movement... it all adds up. While we're on the move, I'll have to try to move, eat what I need to... every detail matters. I've tried to think of everything. On the flights, I'll also have to sleep, since I'll sleep while flying. No hotels; when I get to places, I'm always thinking about the destination.

It is also a solidarity challenge.

— Yes. By chance I met Laura, who has a foundation called Vicky's Dream, as her daughter was called, who died of cancer. Since then, both Laura and her family have helped people who live in similar situations, with sick children who face chemotherapy, hair loss, fatigue... This foundation does not stop. It organizes events, initiatives... and we will help them. Whoever wants to collaborate, You can follow us on social networks and you will discover how.

Just a few days ago, the influencer Verdeliss completed seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, including Antarctica. How did you experience it?

— I was jealous. You've been planning this for years and just when I'm ready, she does it. She has resources that I don't have, because to go and run the Antarctic marathon you need a lot of money. Look, good for her, but when I found out, the world fell on my feet. She has money that has allowed her to take her flights more easily and go to Antarctica, which is a dream I have. But then I thought... listen, you've been planning this for years. It's your adventure. I'll enjoy it just the same. It's about that, having fun.