The autobiography of Maria Polyzou is the story of a woman who never gave up. The greatest Greek marathon runner of all time experienced the dark side of life in her childhood when she endured abuse within her close family circle.

It was her talent in long-distance running that helped her run away from the darkness towards the light, from the valleys to the peaks. She responded to every challenge, overcame every obstacle, achieved great victories, and made history, relying solely on her own strength.

In 2008, she even did the unthinkable: she became the first woman to revive the Pheidippides feat, running 524 km from Athens to Sparta and then to Marathon, surpassing the limits of body and reason. However, the most significant race of her life came a few years ago, and its name was cancer. Maria did not stop at this obstacle either.

She underwent chemotherapy with a smile on her lips and running shoes on her feet, ready to take another step. The story of Maria Polyzou will inspire you to live with passion, to face every difficulty with courage, to dream the impossible, and to never give up.

“To declare myself a ‘marathon runner’ is what defines me, it is my primary identity, my essence. Not just as an athlete, but in general.”

“From the moment I started to tell myself over and over ‘I am not a body, I am a soul,’ I began to free myself from all human bonds.”

“All these experiences, both positive and negative, will always be here to fill me with invaluable tools, to face challenges, to move forward unstoppable, to dream, to set goals, and to firmly believe that... NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!”