After clocking 328 hours 27 minutes and 55 seconds, on August 29, Vu finished at first place in the women’s category of the the 2022 Deca Ultratriathlon World Championship (SwissUltra 2022). She was an hour faster than her closest rival, a French.

32-year-old Vietnamese contestant Vu Phuong Thanh has made history as she became the first Vietnamese woman to win the 2022 Deca Ultratriathlon World Championship (SwissUltra 2022) (Photo: Tuoi Tre News).

She swam 38 kilometers, cycled 1,800 kilometers, and ran 422 kilometers in 328 hours 27 minutes 55 seconds, becoming the first Vietnamese national to win a large-scale triathlon.

The SwissUltra 2022 tournament, which took place in Switzerland from August 14 to Sunday, comprised 23 international participants, including 19 men and four women, to complete the endurance multi-sport race in less than 345 hours.

In the men’s category, 39-year-old Vanthuyne Kenneth from Belgium claimed the first prize with a time of 182 hours 43 minutes 43 seconds, while five other male competitors withdrew.

Never stop believing

Photo: SwissUltra 2022 Facebook Page

Born and raised in Hanoi, Vu Phuong Thanh (32), studied in Singapore, Canada, and the UK before working as a financial analyst at Bloomberg in Singapore. In 2015, she quit the Bloomberg job and started conquering marathon and triathlon competitions.

In 2017, Vu was the first Asian woman to run through four extreme deserts -- the Sahara, the Gobi, the Atacama, and Antarctica -- with a combined length of 1,000 kilometers in the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series.

Before competing in SwissUltra 2022, Vu said in a recent interview that she had never participated in such an intense competition before and that this is her chance to break out of her comfort zone. Her initial goal when entering the triathlon in Switzerland was to show that you can achieve the impossibles with the power of will. She believed that the more you try to become the "number one" version of yourself, the more you can achieve.

Thanh said in her Facebook posts that she burst into tears sometimes during the Deca Ultratriathon World Championship 2022 due to fierce and frustrating challenges. However, she felt honored and proud to be able to participate in the race and explore her limits. Thousands of people watched Thanh’s race online and sent their congratulations and admiration to her, reported from Tuoi Tre News.

Entering the tournament as the Ambassador of Number 1 - THP Group, Vu had sent a message through social media that she hoped her stories can inspire others to chase their dreams, to not only bring meaningful achievements into their own lives but also fulfill their responsibilities to the society.

Video: Deputy CEO of Tan Hiep Phat Group - Phuong Uyen Tran Facebook Page

The footage of the award ceremony, in which Vu received the 1st place award and the Vietnam's national anthem played, went viral as soon as it was released online. Many people, including Deputy CEO of Tan Hiep Phat Group - Phuong Uyen Tran, congratulated Vu and exclaimed that Vietnamese people around the world feel the national's pride as the anthem was played. Deputy CEO Phuong Uyen Tran also thanked the Ambassador of Number 1 - THP Group for being an inspiration for Vietnamese women.

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