Tim Tollefson Faces His Greatest Challenge Yet
October 10th is World Mental Health Day. We’re honored to share a film project featuring professional ultra-runner Tim Tollefson, who opens up about his journey towards self-acceptance and healing as a runner. In Tim’s words, “true strength is vulnerability”. His decision to open up about his lifelong battle with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia was a difficult but rewarding process and has opened the door to him helping others dealing with similar struggles.
What does it mean to belong as a runner? For the longest time, Tim felt he had to look a certain way to be accepted by the running community and achieve a certain level of performance. The reality is, Tim is an incredibly accomplished runner–he’s won the Javelina Jundred, Lavaredo Ultra Trail 120k, Ultra Trail Australia 100k, and qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials in the marathon. However, his internal battles were still very present since the beginning of his career.
Over the last few years, Tim has faced his demons head-on and developed healthy strategies to overcome these issues. He’s also deeply explored his “why” when it comes to running. For Tim, his “why” behind running has evolved and grown into something much more purposeful: being thankful for the differences that make him unique.
We hope you enjoy this film.
Film Notes:
- 0:49–Tim’s early childhood, development as an athlete, and how we found acceptance through athletics.
- 2:10–Qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Trials and transitioning to trail running
- 2:42–Experiencing the highs and lows of racing UTMB
- 4:00–Dealing with pre-race anxiety and making peace with the mind
- 5:35–When Tim made the decision to seek treatment and accepted he had an eating disorder
- 9:45–The benefits of therapy
- 11:10–using COROS Nutrition Alerts
- 12:05–Unlocking potential at Western States and finishing strong
- 16:30–How Tim views success
- 18:00–Founding and curating Mammoth Trail Fest