Runner Overcomes Brain Surgery

Extreme-distance runner Diane Van Deren can run over 100 miles in a single race—even if she isn't exactly sure where she's going. The 49-year-old suffers from serious seizures and had a lobectomy in 1997 that makes it difficult to perform basic functions, like reading a map. "Everyone knows not to follow me now," Van Deren told the New York Times. But despite her cognitive disabilities, Van Deren has become one of the world's greatest "ultra-runners," covering hundreds of miles in extreme climates. Last year she won the Yukon Arctic Ultra 300, a 430-mile race through the frozen Canadian region.