Giving up never an option for Joyette Jopson during North Marathon

Joyette Jopson finished the FWD North Pole Marathon in 4:10:59. Photo by Mark Giongco

MANILA, Philippines—The subzero weather condition was as brutal as they come, but there wasn’t at any point in the grueling marathon where Joyette Jopson thought of calling it a day.

Not until she crossed the finish line and made history by finishing first in the FWD 78-degree North Marathon held in the Norwegian archipelago of Longyearbyen in Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean, just a 1050 kilometers away from the North Pole.

There was no triumph without struggle and Jopson hurdled every adversity along the way.

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“I think the first loop I struggled. I had so many layers on and I was so heavy. But it was never a concept of not finishing,” Jopson said Tuesday in a press conference at Manila House at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

“No matter what, I have to finish what I was set out to do. I cannot let my country down,” added Jopson, who also works as a financial wealth officer at FWD.

The 39-year-old Jopson, who completed the four-circuit course in just four hours, 10 minutes and 59 seconds, did her country proud.

A decorated triathlete having won Ironman races multiple times among others, Jopson had no initial experience racing on ice.

But her will trumped her inexperience.

“We are very proud of what Joyette has accomplished. Her sheer determination to succeed despite the challenges along the way indeed makes her the perfect representative for the Philippines,” Peter Grimes, FWD Philippines President and Chief Executive, said.

“How she pushed on and performed excellently despite the uncertainties and sudden changes was truly admirable.”

The race was supposed to be staged in the North Pole but geopolitical tensions between the Russian and Ukrainian administrations regarding the flight plans caused last-minute changes.

The cold was unbearable and the terrain was very slippery but asked if she would do it again, Jopson had no hesitation.

“Take me back, I’ll do it all over again,” she said. “It was unlike anything I’ve been part of. The whole experience was just amazing.”