PODCAST PEOPLE: A Summary from the Real Leaders Podcast

“I knew that this was what I was going to do for the rest of my life. That I was going to dedicate my life to solving our water crisis. And at that point I knew that I would do whatever it takes to make that happen, because I don’t want this future for the next generation.“

Mina Guli is a global leader, entrepreneur, water advocate, and ultra runner, dedicated to raising awareness about the global water crisis.  

The following is a summary of Episode 133 of the Real Leaders Podcast, a conversation with water advocate Mina Guli. Read or listen to the full conversation below.

Running for the Goals

Though she wasn’t a runner to start with, after a life-changing accident decreed she may never be able to run again, Mina decided to prove that she would. She created another opportunity to push herself even further in order to highlight a bigger cause. In 2016, in order to bring attention to the global water crisis, Mina ran 40 marathons across 7 deserts on 7 continents in 7 weeks. Along the way, she interviewed locals and water experts. Her goal was to tell the stories of people affected by the crisis and those working to solve it.

Another of Mina’s running awareness projects was the #RunningDry movement — 100 marathons in 100 days. And another she recently completed was the 6 River Run, along the banks of 6 of the world’s greatest rivers, across 6 continents, in 6 weeks — inspired by the UN’s 6th Sustainable Development Goal, Clean Water & Sanitation.

“It’s so weird for me to be in this situation where running has become what I do. And I did it because we needed to have a way to create a hook for people to pay attention to water. I wanted to show that we had to go outside of our comfort zones to be able to do things that are meaningful. I wanted to show that every one of us is capable of things that we never dreamt of. And I wanted to show you don’t have to be anyone to be someone.”

Starting with the Next Generation

Mina emphasizes that water is the biggest risk facing society, and the ramifications of the global water crisis are great cause for concern. By 2030 there’s forecasted to be a 40% gap between the amount of water we need and the amount of water that’s available to use. Motivated by inaction, Mina is dedicating her life to this problem. Her non-profit, Thirst, focuses on raising awareness about the water crisis among the next generation. 

“I don’t want the next generation to grow up and have their future limited by their ability to access water, they should only be limited by their ability to dream the dreams that they want to dream.”