The top Greek marathon runner of all time saw the dark side of life in her childhood when she experienced abuse within her close family circle. It was her talent on long distance running that helped her run away from darkness towards light, from valleys to mountain tops. She responded to every challenge, overcame every obstacle, achieved great victories, and made history, relying solely on her own strengths. In 2008, she even did the unthinkable: she became the first woman to revive the Feidippidean challenge, running 524 km from Athens to Sparta and from there to Marathon, surpassing the limits of her body and logic. However, the most important battle of her life came a few years ago, and its name was cancer. Maria did not stop even at this obstacle. She underwent chemotherapy with a smile on her lips and athletic shoes on her feet, ready to take another step.

The story of Maria Polyzou will inspire you to live passionately, face every difficulty with courage, dream the impossible, and never give up.

• "To declare myself a 'marathon runner' is what defines me, it is my main quality, my identity. Not only as an athlete, but in general."
• "From the moment I started saying and repeating to myself 'I am not a body, I am a soul,' I began to free myself from all human bonds."
• "All these experiences, positive and negative, will always be here to fill me with valuable tools, to face challenges, to keep moving forward relentlessly, and to dream, set goals, and firmly believe that... NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!"