We decided it was important from the start to have a council of Advisors to whom we can draw on for advice and support as we built and grew the Grand to Grand Ultra and then future events into the premier stage races of their kind in the world. Our Advisors are prominent members of the ultra community and have many years of experience in organizing and participating in endurance events globally.
RAY ZAHAB
Ray is an established ultra marathoner, and adventurer who uses his athletic career to support initiatives and causes in which he believes. www.RayZahab.com www.impossible2Possible.com
In 2006/7, Ray and two other runners ran the entire width of the Sahara Desert-7500 kms (4600 miles) in 111 days with no rest days and in the process learned of the seriousness of the water crisis in Africa. The run was documented in a film "Running the Sahara" directed by Oscar winner James Moll and narrated by Matt Damon. One of the goals of the film was to raise awareness for the water crisis in Africa. Previous to this expedition Ray had won several international ultra marathons.
Two years after running the Sahara, Ray, and two other Canadians, broke the world speed record for an unsupported expedition by a team to the South Pole, in a time of 33 days, 23 hrs and 55min. Ray has completed 12 major expeditions to date, including an unsupported winter traverse of Lake Baikal, Siberia, an early 2011 run the length of the Atacama Desert – 1200 km in 20 days with minimal daily re-supply, and several i2P Youth Expeditions.
Ray is official Athletic Ambassador for the ONEXONE organization and is a board member of the Ryan's Well Foundation. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Canadian Royal Geographical Society. He is the founder of impossible2Possible.
CLIVE SAFFERY
Clive Saffery passionately believes that ordinary people can do extraordinary things and he has constantly inspired people to compete to ultra endurance events. He believes that people's lives are changed for the better by entering such events as G2G. Clive's own endurance racing career began in 1967 when he completed a 50 miler in his native England at the tender age of 12.
Since then he has raced in countless countries around the world. He has finished Badwater three times including a top ten place. He has completed multiple 100 milers, dozens of shorter ultras, several expedition length events and a number of adventure races. He has held various records including two current UK Trailwalker records, both set since he turned 50 years old.
Clive has recently retired as CEO of a major international company and although he still considers Hong Kong his home base he has recently bought a house in Sausalito, California from where he hopes to continue competing in ultrarunning events at least until May 2017, the 50th anniversary of his first ultra.
Clive will shortly become the Chairman of a new charity organization that will build schools in Ethiopia.
