Ray Zahab
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Ray Zahab

Inspirational Ultra-Marathon Runner and Adventurer

Ray Zahab wants people to know they are extraordinary. A former sedentary “pack a day smoker”, Ray turned his life around in 1999 when he decided to get in shape and enter the world of ultra-marathons. Since then, he’s gone on to inspire millions of people around the world by completing jaw-dropping journeys, including running 7500 km across the Sahara, and the Atacama, Gobi, and Patagonian deserts.

Zahab is also the founder of the non-profit impossible2Possible (i2P), which uses adventure-based learning programs to inspire, empower and most importantly educate young people on a wide range of subjects. On stage, Zahab takes audiences through his tremendous personal story, demonstrating how individuals and organizations can undergo incredible change to break through limits, and achieve incredible success.

In 2003, Zahab read about the Yukon Arctic Ultra, a 160 km multiday race through sub-zero conditions. Three months later, he won the race and was spurred on to continue competing. Over the next two years, he won four multiday races, either individually or as part of a team, surviving sandstorms, close encounters with poisonous snakes, parasites, infections, chafed legs, and dehydration along the way. Entranced by the Sahara during one of those races, he decided to cross the whole thing. The gruelling 111-day journey happened in early 2007, chronicled in the Matt Damon-produced documentary Running the Sahara. Upon completing the expedition, Zahab was moved to found impossible2Possible, inspired by the realization that we are all capable of the extraordinary, and now works to use his adventures to raise awareness and funding for important causes.

In between his many adventures, Zahab has also found time to write two books, Running for My Life and Running to Extremes, for young readers. As a speaker, Ray has spoken at events such as TED, IOC World Conference, The Economist World, World Affairs Council, and corporate events all over the globe.

A recent recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada, Zahab is an Explorer in Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and Fellow of the Canadian Geographical Society. In 2015 Canadian Geographic recognized Ray as one of Canada’s Top Explorers.

Turning the Ordinary into Extraordinary: How We Are Capable of Exceeding Our Perceived Limits

Ray Zahab went from being a pack a day smoker to running thousands of miles all over the globe, including crossings of Mongolia and the Gobi Desert–a living example of how ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

Drawing on his incredible stories and showcasing his stunning photographs and videos, Ray inspires individuals and organizations to take positive action to incite incredible change and identify the limits we place on success in order to break through them and move beyond.

Resilience: How We Are All Capable of Exceeding Our Perceived Limits

As the unknown quickly becomes our new normal, where the worries of going to the grocery store for fear of catching or spreading viruses are as real as environmental crises or economic downturns, we are often left feeling powerless and lost. But we have a choice — we can choose to stay positive, mobilize and confront these seemingly insurmountable odds together, and learn to thrive in the midst of the unknown.

Over the past 20 years, Ray Zahab has been on more than 30 expeditions to the most extreme and remote locations on earth. He transformed from a pack a day, sedentary smoker to a world-class explorer and endurance athlete.

From nearly drowning in the freezing waters of the Arctic to running through the blistering heart of both the Atacama and Sahara deserts, Zahab uses his rich experiences to illustrate his messages that we can all go from the “impossible to possible”, and that we all have the capability to build resilience, push ourselves, and thrive in this new, modern world.

This virtual presentation can vary in length from 30-60 minutes. Technology platform is at the discretion of the client.