A new mural has been painted in honor of ultra-marathon runner Lorena Ramírez.
According to El Monitor de Parral, the colorful mural called “Abriendo Camino” was created for Women’s History Month last month. It is located in Plaza Juárez in Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico. The mural is said to represent women who push beyond their limits to succeed in sports.
That’s exactly what Ramírez has done her entire life. The Rarámuri runner made headlines in 2018 when she became the first Rarámuri woman to compete in the European ultramarathon known as the Tenerife Bluetrail, which is held in Spain.
Running in the traditional garb of the indigenous Tarahumara people, which includes a floral skirt and a pair of huaraches, Ramírez took third place in her division. The year before, she won first place in the 31-mile UltraTrail Cerro Rojo in Tlatlauquitepec in southeastern Mexico.
A 2019 short documentary by director Juan Carlos Rulfo titled Lorena, Light-Footed Woman (Lorena, la de pies ligeros) follows Ramírez as she trains for her marathons in the mountains that she calls home. The 28-minute short can currently be streamed on Netflix. Remezcla called it a film with a “kinetic sports doc sensibility” and a “contemporary look at a fearless indigenous woman.”
“It feels good to strive towards a goal,” Ramírez says in the documentary.
The mural in Hidalgo del Parral isn’t the first one that features Ramirez. With so many fans across the word who find inspiration in her story, it’s no surprise that people want to pay tribute to her for her talents as a runner. Here is a look at a few more murals.