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Despite being one of the country’s most accomplished 100-milers, Tim Tollefson, 37, from Mammoth Lakes, California, has struggled to find belonging in the running community due to two decades of struggles with body dysmorphia.
Over the course of his career, Tim Tollefson has won the Javelina Jundred, Lavaredo Ultra Trail 120k, and Ultra Trail Australia 100k, and is the last American male to podium at UTMB. But on the inside, he has been obsessively counting calories, binge eating, and fighting an unrealistic image of what a runner’s body should look like. Since 2003, Tim has been hiding these struggles from everyone other than his wife, Lindsey, and more recently, his therapist.
After making major leaps forward in the past few years, on World Mental Health Day, Tollefson has decided to share his story, in hopes that it might help others who are struggling with similar mental health issues.