Dubai charity founder awarded 2 world records

Dubai: Maria Conceicao, Dubai-based charity founder, has received official confirmation of her double world record success from Guinness World Records after conquering the 777 Ultramarathon Challenge.

Conceicao, who completed the challenge in six weeks, ran a full-distance 50km ultramarathon in each of the seven continents. She crossed the line of the final ultramarathon in South Africa together with her race colleague Ziyad Rahim, who gained the same record in the male category. Maria’s second record was the fastest aggregate time in completing an ultramarathon on seven continents.

The first Portuguese woman and third national to summit Mount Everest has number of other endurance challenges under her belt, all aimed at raising awareness and funds for the Maria Cristina Foundation (MCF). The foundation, which helps educate slum children in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is currently supporting over 200 children in primary, secondary and college education programmes.

The group sends children with the most promising potential to schools in Dhaka that provide a higher quality of education with the aim of giving them the opportunity to break out of poverty.

Strongly believing that education is the best way to eradicate poverty, Conceicao pointed out that the foundation is in need of more corporate partners to support the charity work carried out.

“Education empowers children with the hope and tool to dream bigger and achieve more, not only for themselves but for their families and the communities they live in,” she said.

Conceicao urges companies to consider becoming potential partners with the foundation in order to continue and increase the support provided to these children.