Tucsonan Tanaka breaks down Mongol Derby experience

Tucson.com - Full Article

August 23, 2015 7:40 pm • By Jon Gold

Leave it to someone like Michelle Tanaka to return from a journey like the Mongol Derby only to be disappointed she had no broken bones.

In late July, we previewed Tanaka’s incredible journey to the epic, long-distance horse race over the Mongolian steppe, and it was just as Tanaka expected it to be: painful, exhilarating, exhausting and, well, epic. We caught up with her this week after she finished tied for third in the 1,000-mile journey.

So, you’re back in one piece?

A: “I am back in one piece. Never once came off a horse, no injuries. Nothing bad happened. It was intense, it was painful, but mostly it was so fun.”

Describe the pain.

A: “The last leg, the fourth leg of the second day, I was just in so much pain. I just could not have imagined it. You know it’s going to be the worst pain you ever felt, but it was just so painful and you have to keep going...”

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