After finishing 14 200-plus-mile ultramarathons, rotational chef Helgi Olafson is hitting the trail again, fundraising for Spondylitis Association of America (SAA) and documenting the journey with help from former bosun turned film director Ben Willoughby. From April 4 to 11, Helgi will be running 304 miles in the inaugural Arizona Monster 300 Endurance Run through southern Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, aiming to do so before the cut off at 170 hours (seven days and two hours).
The documentary, Sonoran Odyssey - 300 Miles of Grit and Glory, will not only showcase Helgi’s inspiring journey, but it will also touch on topics like runner’s identity, athletes’ mental health and the importance of balance as yacht crew. “At times over the past ten years, my life has been ALL about ultrarunning,” Helgi shares. “I would do almost anything to have the experiences that I can expect only from a 200-plus mile ultramarathon; other areas of my life didn’t get the attention they deserved.”
Diagnosed at 19 with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a type of arthritis affecting the joints in the spine, Helgi manages it by exercising and staying in motion. However, he didn’t get into endurance sports until he was 28 when a relay team needed a runner in the Lavaman triathlon and he agreed to do the 10k. Feeling so accomplished after that run, he set his sights to completing the entire triathlon and then an Ironman within a year.
“So I accomplished those goals, and I sort of said to myself that I was going to raise awareness [for AS] alongside racing and it just seemed to fit,” he says.
In early 2024, Helgi was diagnosed with femoral acetabular impingement, which is a painful over-use injury that affects his hip joints. He is working with physical therapists and his running coach to restore functionality and train for his upcoming ultramarathon.
“I’ve had some great races, but this is number 15 for me, so it's very special,” Helgi says. “It’s my first plus 300 so I really want to put my experience to the test and have a great time out there.”
Helgi's first documentary, Movement as Medicine, focused on AS and raising awareness as he ran 250 miles in the Cocodona 250, but this one will aim to inspire the yachting industry. To help share the story, Ben Willoughby and team will be capturing footage, along with producing, editing and postproduction — planning for a release later this year. Helgi met Ben when they worked aboard KOJU, bonding over endurance sports as Ben was an endurance swimmer. Known for being on camera in Below Deck, Ben was in yachting for five years and started Willoughby Media last year to further develop his love for storytelling.
“The kind of story we’re going for in the documentary is we want to encourage a lot of yacht crew, because the boys, especially the pace runners in Leon, Charl and Ben, use the ultrarunning as a release from the yachting industry,” Ben Willoughby says. “Because there is a lot of mental health demands and the boys are stuck on the yacht, they can’t train and run, but they use ultrarunning as a safe haven and a place to just get away from the yachts.”
Many ultrarunning films focus on the runner, but Helgi notes it’s more of a crew thing, especially in the 200s — the team helps the runner get to the finish line. While he’s running, the team is together at the aid stations throughout the week. His support crew includes three yacht crew — Leon Oosthuizen, Charl Minnaar and Ben Lawrenz — along with Kylie Scott, a former Irish dancer, and Helgi’s girlfriend, Samantha Urffer. Each person will have a chance to join him on the trail as a pacer in the second half of the ultramarathon.
“As someone who values teamwork,” Helgi shares, “I am most excited for viewers to watch Sonoran Odyssey - 300 Miles of Grit and Glory because it will inspire people to reimagine and forever question their own limitations in order to achieve their goals and dreams.”
Through GoFundMe, they are raising funds for the documentary project and 25 percent of donations will go to SAA. After the project is funded, all the money from GoFundMe will be donated. gofundme.com/f/sonoranodysseyfilm
Follow Helgi and the team on Instagram: @sonoranodyssey