Tanja
“I often hear that I’m as tough as a man. But femininity is a deeply individual feeling. It has nothing to do how I look or what I wear or what I do. I think it is important to live and show female diversity. It makes women strong and together we are stronger and we can really make a difference.”
An an ultra runner, Tanja thrives when she is challenging her physical and mental self. It is something she does in new places, to understand new cultures. It is her tool for transforming fear into power. It is also how she empowers young girls and women, by showing them that there are no limits to what they are capable of. Tanja is an ambassador for Free to Run, an NGO empowering women and girls to engage in sport in conflict-affected regions. She is also the founder of Stronger Together Women Run, a global movement striving for the freedom and independence of girls and women everywhere. Tanja’s passion for running began when she needed an escape from a world constantly making her feel that she was not enough. Now she is a strong and courageous leader, who has learned that not only is she enough, she is limitless. This is her story.
P: Please introduce yourself!
T: My name is Tanja Braun and I live and work in Heidelberg, one of the most beautiful cities in Germany.
I am a 46 year old ultra runner and adventurer. I show girls and women that there are no limits and that they can do and achieve anything if they believe in themselves and their dreams and are willing to do everything to achieve them.
P: Describe or define yourself in your own words.
T: Running is my life.
I love to challenge myself. Pushing my physical and mental limits, growing and learning with challenges makes me happy. Running makes me feel strong and free.
There is no limit and I can transform my fears into power, energy and courage. I combine my passion for discovering other countries and cultures with my runs. I am convinced that we can learn a lot from each other and that a different world is possible through a better understanding.
Above all, I want to show girls and women that it is important to know your own strengths and to align your life according to your own wishes and not according to what other people or society expects.
I have been an ambassador for the NGO Free to Run since 2019 and collect donations with my runs.
Free to Run empowers girls and women trough sport in war and crisis areas so that they can do outdoor sports and be reintegrated into society.
P: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
T: I am very persistent and always find ways and possibilities to reach my goal.
Giving up is not an option for me. I also like my open and curious way of discovering, getting to know and learning new things.
P: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
T: 2009 was a game changer for me.
As a young, sporty and successful woman and mother, I completely collapsed with a burnout. Being the perfect woman, businesswoman, mother and wife was just too much. For decades I'd tried to live up to an image that society and family had foisted on me, and that I wasn't good enough. I wasn't good enough for myself.
For three years I fought my way back to life. It was hard, painful and full of goodbyes.
But in the end, I got the live I live today: free, self-determined and strong and the deep realization that I am good, do what I love and live my life the way I want it to, regardless of what others think of me and mean.
P: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
T: I would tell my younger self that I'm good just the way I am. That I don't have to change, adapt, and please anyone in order to be loved and accepted. That failure is an opportunity to grow and get stronger and that I should never stop living my dreams.
P: What does being a woman mean to you?
T: Being a woman means to me, being a role model for younger girls and women. If I can do these things, others can do them too. I think it's important for me to break down stereotypical images. I often hear that I'm as tough as a man. But femininity is a deeply individual feeling. It has nothing to do how I look or what I wear or what I do. I think it is important to live and show female diversity. It makes women strong and together we are stronger and we can really make a difference. Therefore I organise the STRONGER TOGETHER WOMEN RUN. Women from all over the world run together to show that they are strong and support each other.
P: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say if they were here now?
T: There are many strong women in history and present who inspire me. One of them is the French Alexandra David-Neél who, contrary to all social norms, went her own way and lived her dreams in the 19th century.
If she were here today, I would say to her: "Thank you for showing that it is important to follow your inner voice and to listen to your heart."