Photo: Facebook

Shanda Hill has completed the cycling portion of the Deca Ultra South Africa in first place.

The Vernon ultra athlete completed the 1,800 km bike ride Saturday and will now embark on a 422-km run.

“She is the only female in the South Africa Deca - the equivalent of 10 Iron distance races - and has led the men since she was the first out of the water after a 38-km swim,” her manager Jacs posted on the Shanda Hill Ultra Athlete Facebook page.

“Pushing through the brutal bike portion took 130 hours, less than six days. The pain of just getting on and off after days of riding is almost unbearable, but she never lets up.”

Jacs said the last few hundred kilometres were even more challenging as the wind picked up, forcing her to fight through every pedal stroke.

“Imagine cycling uphill, exhausted, with the wind pushing you back after six straight days on the bike. Most people would stop. Shanda kept going,” he said.

But Hill is far from finished and has a gruelling 422-km run ahead of her to finish the competition.

“Most of (the men) are strong runners, and if she wants a real shot at holding them off, she has to stay ahead as long as possible,” Jacs said.

As she heads onto the finals stage of the event, Hill plans on running two marathons a day for the next five days.

“She is digging deeper than most of us will ever have to, pushing through exhaustion, pain, and doing what few athletes have even thought of completing,” Jacs said.

Hill announced in January that she was “taking the leap to become a full-time Ultra Triathlete.”

Until now, Hill was working as a landscaper when she was not setting world records in endurance racing.

To make her dream of being a full-time ultra athlete a reality, Hill is in need of sponsors.

A range of sponsorship packages are available.

For more information on Hill and to become a sponsor, visit her website.