Ray Zahab is a Canadian icon. He is a world-record-holding explorer, ultrarunner and endurance athlete. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross in 2015 and is the Explorer in Residence of the Canadian Geographical Society. He was featured in the James Moll documentary ‘Running the Sahara’ narrated by Matt Damon. He has run more than 18,000 km across the South Pole, Siberia, Death Valley, the Atacama and Gobi deserts. He’s crossed Baffin Island nine times (and counting) for various Arctic expeditions, many of them solo. He is the founder of impossible2Possible, a global charity that has run youth expeditions in 14 countries, inspiring, educating and empowering young people around the world through the power of adventure. He is a father, husband and community-leader. And he’s also a friend.

Ray Zahab, norda™ advisor.

When we first met Ray, we instantly bonded over a shared sense of family, community and respect for the nature we run through. From the very beginning, our norda™ team made the decision to partner with runners who were not solely focused on breaking records and winning medals because we know that the true value of running is less about the distance you run, or how fast you run it, but the adventure of self-discovery along the way. We wanted to work with exceptional runners who are also exceptional people. Enter Ray.

We could list all of Ray’s achievements for you here, but you should go visit rayzahab.com instead. And prepare for a jaw drop. Ask him where he keeps all of his medals and trophies, and he’ll tell you they are hidden in a cabinet in his office, never on display. If you ask him what it feels like to cross the Sahara, he will tell you it’s the same feeling anyone might have who just ran their first 7km without stopping.

norda™ x Ray Zahab

Ray has been our lead advisor and product tester for the norda™001, helping us refine every last detail of the shoe before we release it into the world. The mileage he’s earned across some of the world’s most extreme terrain has been an invaluable asset in ensuring our first release lives up to all of our expectations. Including his.

Stay tuned for a Ray Zahab adventure later this year and a limited edition norda™ x Ray Zahab release.