Charlie Engle lives his life in extremes...and yet in great balance. While acting as a Producer on Extreme Home Makeover, Charlie raced. But he did not just race, he finished and even won some of the most hardcore extreme events in the world, like ultra marathons in the great expanse of Mongolia, through the jungles of Amazon, and in the aptly-named Death Valley. There was also ultra-cycling across America and the Eco Challenge in Borneo. Then Charlie and two other runners decided to take on a goal that they were told was impossible: to run across Africa. Across the Sahara Desert, to be specific - possibly the most unforgiving place on earth, with an ecosystem that is considered extreme at best. Sweltering daytime heat, with highs of 140 degrees, drops to freezing temperatures at night, with lows of 30 degrees. Yet run across Africa they did, at the pace of two marathons a day. They encountered significantly varying terrain and serious obstacles, including a 21-day sandstorm, swarms of locusts the size of small birds, traveling bands of armed rebels, and even active minefields. Every single day, Charlie told himself he just had to run until lunch … he’d decide then if he could actually continue. All in all, Charlie led the trio of runners across 9 ecosystems and 6 countries, covering 4,500 miles in 111 days ... without a single day of rest. They went through a total of 75 pairs of sneakers as they burned 10,000 calories per day each. But the most painful statistic of all, according to Charlie? A whopping total of two showers the entire journey. The point of the run? To raise awareness and promote clean water initiatives across Africa by utilizing the attention they were generating. So Charlie co-founded H20Africa.org, created with the intention of supporting sustainable, integrated water programs. As they discovered first-hand throughout their grueling experience, access to clean water lies at the crux of many challenges facing African people – health and education, of course, but also human rights. The humanitarian expedition, narrated and executive produced by Matt Damon, was filmed and will be released as a feature-length documentary this year, "Running The Sahara". Next up? On September 13th, 2008, Charlie will begin a new epic journey - Running America. He and a fellow runner will need to cover nearly 70 miles a day for 45 day consecutive days, starting in San Francisco and ending in Times Square, New York City. This is also an attempt at a world record, the fastest crossing of the United States on foot. This time around, he has partnered with the United Way. With childhood obesity at an all-time high, Charlie is determined to do everything he can to bring about a systemic change in the way America approaches health and fitness. Why all this effort to generate awareness? “Whenever I get a chance to talk to people, I use the opportunity to say that we all have a social and moral responsibility to use the gifts we have to make life better for other people. I went to the Sahara Desert hoping this would make me a better person, and that’s what happened. My focus is less self-centered, and now that I’ve seen the problem for myself, I have no choice but to do something about it.”

Senator Hillary Clinton is not the first woman to run for President of the United States. First there was Victoria Woodhull, who ran in 1872, before women were even granted the right to vote. Then there was also Belva Lockwood, in 1884. And Margaret Chase Smith in 1964 and Shirley Chisholm in 1972. But Hillary Clinton is the closest any woman has ever gotten to Leader of The Free World. To say she broke barriers for women would be an understatement. Her accomplishments over 35 years of public service are exceptional: a leading advocate for children and families, an accomplished attorney (twice voted one of the most influential in America), best-selling author, Grammy award-winner, Senator, and of course her multiple roles as First Lady, of state, of country. Not since Eleanor Roosevelt has a first lady participated so actively in public policy. And then, of course, there was the toughest race for the winner of the Democratic spot of Nominee that the United States has seen in years. Along the way, Hillary Clinton won over 17 million votes from people all over the country, many of whom did not care if she was a woman or a man, just that she was a strong candidate for the position. "There cannot be true democracy unless women's voices are heard. There cannot be true democracy unless women are given the opportunity to take responsibility for their own lives. There cannot be true democracy unless all citizens are able to participate fully in the lives of their country." - Hillary Clinton

Scott Johnson was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at the age of three months old. By the time he was 29, he was told that he needed to get a double lung transplant or he would die. His lungs had been completely ravaged by the disease and couldn't support his bodily functions any more. After a bout with bacterial pneumonia, his health deteriorated rapidly. For two months he waited in a hospital bed, falling in and out of comas, learning that organs were possibly coming available - only to watch those possibilities fall through again. He was starting to feel like he was pretty much done, and he just didn't feel like fighting anymore. On September 11, 2001, he was told that a strong pair of lungs did become available and could be his - but because of what happened on that fateful day, and the resulting ban on flying, Scott was not going to receive those lungs in time. His doctors thought that news was the final blow, a death sentence for him. Miraculously, though, Scott held on until September 15th, when they finally did arrive. Lying in a hospital bed for months, in a pretty dark place emotionally, Scott reflected on all the things he wished he could have done with his life and created a list. He resolved that if he got a second chance at life, he would do every one of the things on that list. At the top: to complete a triathlon. But after the surgery, Scott had to start at the beginning. He was so weak that he couldn't even eat or talk, and he weighed only 94 pounds. And because his muscles had atrophied, he had to begin the long process of learning to walk again. That took a while. But after he succeeded in basic walking, he started to swim. Then he biked. Then, eventually, he ran. In 2003, Scott finished his first triathlon, and he was hooked. Before the transplant, it felt to Scott like he was breathing through a straw. Afterwards, he could breathe freely. He could feel his body's strength. So he set his sights higher and completed two full seasons of triathlons before deciding he was going to attempt an Ironman race - 2.4 miles of swimming followed by 112 miles of biking followed by 26.2 miles of running. The granddaddy of endurance sports. Scott was inspired and fully believed: This was why he had survived, this was the point - to inspire others with cystic fibrosis to see what was possible, to raise overall awareness for the importance of organ transplantation, to make a difference in this world by doing something he already loved. He lined up to race Ironman New Zealand once and Ironman Florida two times. He was unable to finish the first two races - but, finally, on his third Ironman race, Scott Johnson finished Ironman Florida and became the first-ever double lung transplant recipient in the world to finish any race of that distance. (And he's got the tattoo to prove it.) Words of wisdom to those with Cystic Fibrosis, for those waiting for organ transplants or battling serious health issues? Scott says, simply, "Hold on. You don't know what might be around the corner...Just don't give up."

Up next was an invitation to the Ironman World Championships in Kona. You can see a great video about Scott's experience training for it here. I love how it starts, "Every breath to me is truly a gift."

After ten years of marriage, of cooking, cleaning, fetching water and firewood, giving birth to two children, helping herd cattle and farming land in their Kenyan village, 29 year-old Winny Tonui told her husband that she wanted to become a professional runner. That would mean leaving their Kenyan village of Olereut. That would mean leaving her two children. That would also mean asking her husband to be the sole caretaker of their family, a highly unusual arrangement in their African village. People would talk. But she would have to leave, at least for a while, to truly be able to make a go of it. Her husband told Winny, "If you want to run, you run. Do not worry about what other people say. If you want to run, you run.” According to people in their village, running was for children. In their esteemed Kalenjin tribe, world-renowned for producing the greatest Kenyan runners, if you have not achieved success as a child, there is no point in running as an adult. But Winny was undeterred. After having already made four 2-kilometer trips of carrying a jug of water the size of a typical water cooler jug, she would knot up her skirt, hold it in her hand and run through the village every day. Without proper footwear, though, her feet were sore and swollen, especially after the daily 8K trips for water. Even worse, she was losing weight, while women in her culture were expected to gain weight. And since she wasn’t a professionally trained runner, she was the topic of much discussion in her village, the object of open ridicule. But her husband believed in her. So Winny entered her first race, a local competition for older school children. Since it wasn’t timed, the only way she could stand out was to just win the whole thing. She did. One month later, she won a 5K race at a district meet. She was starting to be taken seriously, and she was offered the chance to come to America and make a go of it. Her husband agreed to take on all of her responsibilities at home, an unusual move that brought about its own attention in the village. While waiting to travel, though, deadly riots spreading through Kenya made it impossible for her to fly out, delaying her opportunities and making the possibilities she was seeking even more uncertain. But eventually the chaos did calm, and she was finally able to leave Africa. On April 21, 2008, Winny's dream became a reality when she won the Dismal Swamp Half Marathon, in Virginia - her first race outside of Kenya. Five days later, she won The Franklin 5K race in North Carolina. She also picked up a sponsorship from Spira athletic outfitters. And now? She sees what's next. She hopes to win more prize money to take back to her family. She hopes to inspire other women in her village, in her country, and around the world to overcome the barriers that they perceive are stopping them from following their dreams. She hopes for change.