We connected with Sandi Nypaver after smoke from the devastating Camp Fire forced race organizers to cancel the North Face Endurance Challenge Championships in San Francisco last fall. Staying nimble and positive, Sandi took the opportunity to release her training on another goal of hers: to set the fastest known time running the Grand Canyon, rim-to-rim. Check out this video to see how it went. You might also catch a glimpse of the MT-2s (her favorite) which she wore during the endeavor.
We asked her how she discovered Topo:
“One of my favorite people to follow on Instagram is Dr. Courtney Conley, foot and gait specialist extraordinaire! She loves talking about feet and her posts really got me thinking about how to make sure my feet are strong and healthy. Then one day she mentioned Topo Athletic as being a good shoe choice so I went out and bought a pair to see if I liked them. (Spoiler Alert: I liked the shoes!)”
Falling in love with Topo shoes was no easy feat coming from a self-professed picky shoe picker:
“I fully admit to being quite selective with trail running shoes. I’m a mountain runner so rocks are a constant, making good traction very important. I also want something that feels light enough for the uphills but has enough cushion that I can run fast downhill without blowing out my legs. It’s actually surprisingly hard to find all this in one trail shoe, but all Topo Athletic trail shoes fit this bill. After having Achilles surgery a few years ago, I had some lingering issues, especially stabilizing on downhills. When I experienced the wider toebox for the first time, I was excited that I felt more control through my feet.”
Check out this video Sandi took while out on one of her runs and where she talks in depth about her love for Topo shoes!
Here’s what Sandi had to say about joining the Topo Elite team:
“There’s a strong feeling of excitement about joining the Topo Elite team. I’m of course excited for my own running, but more importantly, I want to help other people run happy and healthy and I think wearing the right shoes is a piece of that puzzle.”
We figured that since ultrarunners spend countless hours running the trails, taking in nature’s most beautiful scenes by light and frightful moments in the dark, that a lot of self-discovery goes on out there. So we asked Sandi what her life mantra is after experiencing so many hours of pondering in the outdoors:
“Bravely grow with a compassionate heart.”
To learn more about Sandi, check out her bio on our Ambassadors & Athletes page where she shares her race day rituals, how Topo changed her running game and social handles (we highly recommend checking out her YouTube channel)!