Mira Rai, the only contender of National Geograhic’s Adventurer of the Year

National Geographic has named Nepal’s Mira Rai as one of ten nominees for this year’s Adventurer of the Year which honours “extraordinary achievement in exploration, adventure sports, conservation, or humanitarianism”. Ms Rai, who is a former Maoist fighter born and raised in a remote village of Bhojpur district, is the only nominee from the South Asian region.

People from roudn the globe can vote for their favorite nominee until December 16. One with the highest votes will win the People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year in January 2017. Rai was in the Maoist Army and has spend over 2 years in jungle. She chanced into ultra marathon only two years ago while jogging at the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park.

She made international headlines last year after her victorious win in the 80 km Mont Blanc ultra marathon competition in Chamonix, France.

“The trail course she entered was a bastard, and finishing as she did showed she had something special,” National Geographic quoted Richard Bull, the British co-founder of Kathmandu-based Trail Running Nepal, as saying. He was talking about Mira Rai’s first attempt at trail race at Shivapuri.