Columbia Ambassador: Marios Giannakou

The story of Marios Giannakou is a living reminder, that a journey of a thousand miles begins with only one step. 

Formerly, overweight, he visited mt. Olympus for the first time, weighing 140 kg. Since then he has decided to start his own personal marathon of internal sef-improvement, which was quintessential in long-distance races around the world. 

By completing the world's most demanding marathons, in 270km in the Desert and 150km in the Arctic, Marios has put his name next to the very few that have actually managed to finish both races. 

His "ultra-marathon" next chapter, was written in February 2020, when at 19:00 Greek time, Marios crosses the finish line of the most demanding marathon in the world, after 250km under the suffocating heat of the jungle of Costa Rica and the Coastal Challenge. Thus, he altered himself to become the only athlete in history that has completed all 3 of the world's toughest races. 

With a vision to spread his example, he continues to deliver numerous speeches in schools and events throughout Greece. 

On October 5 2020, alongside the rest of the Greek Columbia team, he climbed to the highest peak of  mt. Olympus, having on his back the young biology student, Eleftheria, who has mobility problems. 

*Director of Toughness: Μάριος Γιαννάκου