World record holder shares his story of accomplishing 7 triathlons in 7 days across 7 continents
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas.com) - One man ran 7 triathlons on each of the 7 continents all over the span of 7 consecutive days. That man is Raymond Braun, who was in Dallas this week for the Fuel Something Bigger Storytelling Series. He also shared his story with CBS News Texas' Keith Russell and Brooke Katz.
In 2020, Braun had never run more than 3 miles. Fast forward to 2023 and he set two certified world records as the first person to ever complete 7 Olympic-distance triathlons on all 7 continents.
Braun's PR team says he swam, biked and ran 226 miles, in all. He slept on airplanes as he traveled 25,000 miles around the world. What's more, Braun navigated diverse climates from -15°F in Novo, which is on the coast of Antarctica, to 90°F in Perth, Australia.
But how did he get to this feat?
Braun was suffering from OCD and agoraphobia so severe, he couldn't leave his apartment as of 2020. He says grief, paired with his mental health struggles, is what motivated him to complete the 7-day World Triathlon Challenge.
"My goal is to destigmatize conversations about mental health, while honoring the life of my best friend, Maya Amoils, a mental health advocate who passed away last year," he said.
Braun's team shared a video, posted below, where you can learn more about his mental health journey and OCD recovery.