From Obesity to World Recordholder.

We hear a lot of pretty incredible feedback from people running in Hoka about what the shoe has helped them to overcome. It can be part of a return to running, increased mileage, or even something they report as part of their recovery from conditions such as plantar fasciitis, calf tears, Achilles issues, shin splints, and knee pain. But sometimes we find amazing stories without even realizing that Hoka was a part of them.

A few weeks ago, Hoka OneOne inadvertently featured in a story in the South Morning China Post about well-liked ultrarunner Andre Blumberg and his preparations for serious ultrarunning through his use of altitude training. Andre used to be unhappy with his physical condition and has taken on the challenge of self-improvement in the most radical way, now chasing down a Grand Slam by attempting 4 of the major US 100-milers within a calendar year.

Andre Blumberg in his Ultimate Direction 12L Ultimate Series vest, Salomon shorts, and Hoka OneOne Stinson Evo.

We have been on the feet of pace and first-run record-setting ultrarunners completing multiple long races about the world, including Jane Trumper’s first-woman-across-the-Simpson-from-the-centre-of-Australia 670km last year. But I have only now come across the story of Carrie Swidecki, as she has just tweeted us in the past couple of days.

OK, it’s not your typical athlete story, although Carrie did set an endurance record.

That’s right. Carrie set a 48-hour dance record. 49 hours, 3 minutes, and 22seconds…. to be precise.

As amazing as that is in its own special way, what’s utterly fantastic is that Carrie is a couch story. Couch story? Couch-to-5k, couch-to-marathon, couch-to-ultra – Carrie was obese, but is now an ambassador for healthy childhood diets in schools, American schools. She found a goal in life when she first played the computer game Dance Dance Revolution, only to ever achieve her goals shoe would first need to lose over 30kg. Overcoming her own unhappiness through computerised dance challenges and willpower, she has now set 5 World Records, with the latest one being achieved in June this year over more than 2 days of X-Box-based rumpshaking.

And guess which dance shoes she wore…