About Sandy
Canada's Desert Queen | Ultrarunner • Adventurer • Storyteller
From running ultramarathons across some of the world’s harshest deserts to embarking on a 1,360-kilometer camel trek across the Sahara, Sandy McCallum has spent a lifetime proving that our greatest limitations are often the ones we place upon ourselves.
Through endurance, resilience, and an unrelenting spirit of adventure, Sandy inspires others to step beyond their comfort zones, embrace challenge, and discover what is possible at any age.
Sandy McCallum’s life has never followed a conventional path.
The daughter of a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot, she spent much of her childhood living throughout Europe before returning to Canada to complete her education. She has lived in 5 countries – Canada, the United States, Japan, Germany and Italy, where she lived on the island of Sardinia. After earning a degree in journalism, she built a successful 13-year career in television news.
She reported for CBC and Global News, including as a national reporter for Global Television. Sandy also worked for 1 year as a news writer for NHK Japan. Her journalism background continues to shape the way she tells stories from some of the world’s most challenging environments.
Yet adventure was calling.
Leaving television behind, Sandy entered the world of ultrarunning and quickly found her passion in the deserts of the world. What began as a single race became a decades-long journey through some of the most remote and unforgiving landscapes on Earth.
Today, Sandy has traveled thousands of kilometers across deserts on multiple continents, testing both physical and mental limits while discovering the extraordinary strength that exists within ordinary people.
Over more than three decades, Sandy has competed in desert ultramarathons and wilderness expeditions around the globe.
Highlights
- 100 races of marathon distance or longer
- 63 marathons
- 37 ultramarathons
- 9-time Marathon des Sables competitor
- Approximately 3,930 kilometers (2,433 miles) traveled through desert races and expeditions
- Competed across the Sahara, Gobi, Atacama and other extreme environments
In 2007, Sandy completed the prestigious Desert Grand Slam, racing across four Saharan deserts in Morocco, Egypt, Mauritania and Libya, while also competing in China’s Gobi Desert and Chile’s Atacama Desert. Covering approximately 1,388 kilometers (862 miles) in a single year, it was one of the most ambitious desert endurance challenges ever attempted.
Sandy’s adventures have captured international attention.
She has appeared on numerous television news and talk programs, including CBC, CTV and Global Television.
Her story has been featured in:
- Chasing The Sun, a six-part documentary series for Outdoor Life Network
- A two-part Eurosport documentary following her Marathon des Sables journey
- Newspaper and magazine features throughout North America
- Podcasts and interviews focused on endurance, adventure and personal growth
Canada's Desert Queen | Ultrarunner • Adventurer • Storyteller
At age 65, Sandy is preparing for her most ambitious challenge yet:
1,360 Kilometres • 64 Days • Semi-supported Camel Trek
Crossing the Moroccan Sahara, Sandy will face extreme heat, freezing nights, sandstorms and complete self-reliance in one of the world’s most demanding environments.
The expedition is more than a physical challenge. It is a statement that adventure does not have an expiration date.
Selected Endurance Achievements
ULTRAMARATHONS
- Marathon des Sables (9X) – My very first ultra. 150-mile stage race.
Best placing: 18th female out of 100. - Sahara Race (3X) – 150-mile stage race.
Moved up from 6th female… to 2nd female… to 1st female over the three years. - Atacama Race – 150-mile stage race.
2nd female overall. - Gobi Race – 150-mile stage race.
4th female overall. - Mauritania Race – 136-mile stage race.
3rd female overall. - Libya – 120-mile non-stop race.
Team event. - Lost Soul – 100-mile non-stop race.
1st female overall. - Canadian Death Race – 125 km race.
MARATHONS
- Space Coast Marathon – Boston Qualifier.
3:36:46 - Boston Marathon
3:41:04 - New York City Marathon (2X) – First-ever marathon.
4:19:48 - Chicago Marathon
3:59:40
Sandy now lives in a small mountain town in Colorado.
With the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in her backyard and the Great Sand Dunes National Park just down the road, she continues to train, explore and dream up new adventures.
Whether climbing giant sand dunes, running mountain trails or planning the next expedition, Sandy believes the greatest journeys begin when we dare to take the first step.
That simple philosophy has guided Sandy through deserts, mountains, races, setbacks and triumphs.
Through FYNDAWAY™, she encourages others to challenge perceived limits, embrace sacrifice, and redefine what is possible at every stage of life.
Because the desert isn't just a place. It's every challenge we choose to face.
