It was a tough race, and Tommy Chen was thirty minutes off the pace. Exhausted and suffering the effects of both mountain sickness and hypothermia, he was overwhelmed by the fear that he might die alone and far from civilization. He was participating in the 2014 Ultra Bolivia Race, a 170-kilometer marathon through one of the world's harshest regions. Chen was so determined to finish the race that he overcame the fear and sickness to take his first victory in an ultramarathon. It would not be his last.
這是場艱難的比賽，陳彥博落後領先選手三十分鐘。極度疲憊、高山病發作和體溫過低的他，開始擔心自己會在這片蠻荒之地孤獨死去。當時他正參加2014年玻利維亞超馬賽，這項長達 170 公里的賽程要通過世界上最為險惡的地區之一。然而，他下定決心要跑完，最後克服恐懼與病痛，贏得了他個人在超馬賽事中的第一場勝利。而這勝利也不會是最後一個。
Tommy Chen is a regular participant in ultramarathons. He has run in every extreme environment on the planet, from the ice fields of Antarctica to the vast deserts of Africa. May 2018 saw him high in the Himalayas, battling through terrible pain in his feet to win the six-day "Bhutan―The Last Secret 200km 2018." He ran for a total time of more than 23 hours at altitudes of up to 3,600 meters above sea level.
陳彥博經常參加超級馬拉松。全球每個極端環境，從南極洲冰原到非洲的大沙漠都有他的足跡。2018 年五月他在喜馬拉雅山與雙腳劇痛奮戰，為了贏得六天的不丹 200Km 高山跑超馬賽。在海拔超過 3,600 米的高度，他總計跑了超過 23 小時。
Running extreme marathons hasn't made Tommy wealthy or even very famous in the wider world. There are usually few people around to see him cross the finish line in his races. He insists on running so that he can go beyond his limits. "What I've conquered is my fear and doubt in myself," he said after one victory. Often he is completely alone as he runs through the wilderness. The feeling of isolation is a challenge as great as the long distances, but a well-trained ultramarathon runner learns how to cope with loneliness.
參加超馬並沒有讓陳彥博致富或聲名遠播。通常沒有什麼人會見證他越過比賽終點線的那一刻。他堅持繼續跑是為了能超越自我。他曾經在一場勝利後表示：「我克服的是我對自己的恐懼和懷疑。」當他穿越荒野時，他往往是完全孤獨無伴的。那種與世隔絕的感覺，就跟漫長的距離一樣，都是同等巨大的挑戰，但是訓練有素的超馬選手都要學會如何克服孤寂。
In fact, Tommy has faced an even greater challenge than an ultramarathon. In 2011, he developed throat cancer. For a top athlete, this was a severe blow. After surgery, however, he continued to train against the advice of his doctor. He almost paid a high price in a marathon in Greece when his surgical wounds opened up and his nose started bleeding. It took Tommy more than nine hours to complete the race, and he came almost last. Under the circumstances, just finishing that marathon was a massive victory.
事實上，陳彥博曾經面臨過一項比超級馬拉松更為巨大的挑戰。2011年，他得了咽喉癌。對頂尖運動員來說，這無疑是晴天霹靂。然而手術後，他無視於醫生的建議，繼續練習超馬。在一場希臘舉行的超馬中，他幾乎付出了高昂的代價，當時他的手術傷口裂開，鼻子開始流血。陳彥博花了九個多小時才完成那項馬拉松，而且幾乎名列最後。在那樣的情況下，光是跑完就是了不起的勝利。
Running ultramarathons in difficult environments has also changed the way Tommy looks at the world. Once, surrounded by ice and snow in a race called the Polar Challenge, he came to appreciate the true power and beauty of nature. In his own words, "I felt my every movement echoing with the pulse and rhythm of nature." Now, one reason he keeps on racing is to appreciate the natural world on foot.
在艱困的環境中跑超馬也改變了陳彥博看待世界的方式。有一次在名為「北極大挑戰」的競賽中，冰雪從四面八方包圍著他，那時他初次體悟到自然的真實力量與美麗。「我覺得我的每一個動作都呼應著大自然的脈動和節奏。」他如此說著。現在，他持續比賽的理由，就是要用雙腳去欣賞大自然世界。
Over the years, Tommy Chen's story has had a far-reaching influence, encouraging people to pursue their dreams against the odds. "Everyone has the opportunity to change themselves. Just use the positive power of your dreams," Tommy says.
多年來，陳彥博的故事影響深遠，鼓勵了人們衝破困境，追尋自己的夢想。他說：「每個人都有機會改變自己，只要利用夢想的正面力量就可以。」
