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DEATH VALLEY — Lisa Smith-Batchen is willing to go a great distance to support her cause.
She recently became the first woman to ever complete the 584-mile Badwater Quad, running a distance that stretches from Death Valley’s Badwater Basin to the summit of Mt. Whitney in California four times back-to-back.
Her motivation to brave temperatures that soared to 128 degrees and lowered to 25 degrees was to raise money to help build water wells. The ultrarunner from Driggs, Idaho, said she wanted to do something that would make an impact and launched the campaign “Bad Water 4 Good Water.”
“(The phrase) ‘bad water for good water’ rang so clearly in my heart that I knew that was what I wanted to do,” she said. “It just became so clear that I really started to believe that I could do it and that I would do it and then I did do it. I think if you sit still and listen long enough God tells you what is next and what you are going to do.”
The journey took 15 days, starting on July 1 and ending July 15. She was only off the road for five or six hours a day, and the rest of the time she said she and her team were on the move. The distance she traveled included 96,000 feet of elevation change, which she said is about the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest three times.
Smith-Batchen battled diarrhea, hallucinations and exhaustion while running in conditions that included sandstorms and severe headwinds. But said she feels fine now. The run helped her appreciate the importance of water, she said.
“In Death Valley, if you go two miles in July without water, you are not going to survive — it’s that hot. It’s that brutal of an environment,” Smith-Batchen said. “Africa and India are very similar to what I went through in Death Valley. Without the water, I wouldn’t have survived.”
Her final run also included a number of unique experiences. About 140 miles away from her goal, her team spotted a pack of coyotes crossing the road in front of her on her left and right. She was terrified when one of them came close from behind.
She picked up the pace, and 17 miles later decided to take a 30-minute nap. A coyote sat and watched from 20 feet away, but left her undisturbed as she slept.
In Death Valley, if you go two miles in July without water, you are not going to survive.
–Lisa Smith-Batchen
When Smith-Batchen reflected on the experience days later, she decided the coyotes had been there to help bring her into the finish.
“They weren’t there to hurt me,” she said. “I became one with their pack, and I was trying to survive the desert just like they were.”
Smith-Batchen said she hopes the race will lead those who hear about her experience to donate $1, or $5.84 in honor of the distance she covered. Donations to Bad Water 4 Good Water can be made online.*
*KSL.com has not verified the accuracy of the information provided with respect to the account nor does KSL.com assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
