Toti Fernández

Mónica Fernández, better known as Toti Fernández (born in Guatemala City on March 18, 1968) is a triathlete and ultramarathon runner, lecturer, author, entrepreneur and mother. She won the 2000 and 2001 Ultraman events.

Mónica Toti Fernández
Personal information
Native nameMónica Fernández Robles
Nickname(s)Toti Fernández
Nationality Guatemala, Guatemala
Born18 de marzo de 1968
Weight1.74
Websitewww.totifernandez.com
Sport
CountryGuatemala
SportTriatlón y Ultramaratón
Updated on 17 August 2016.

Biography

Birth and childhood

Toti Fernández was born in Guatemala City on March 18, 1968, the youngest of 6 siblings. When she was only ten years old, both her parents died of lung cancer: first her mother, and eight months later, her father.

Early years
Toti Fernández at the Marathon Des Sables in the Sahara Desert.

Toti’s life changed drastically when she had to move to Mexico City to live with her father’s sister, who became her tutor. Having to live in 17 different houses and invaded by rebelliousness, she started smoking when she was only 16 and became a heavy smoker of two packs a day. At age 22, she took up swimming to counter for the harmful effects of tobacco and quit smoking when she found her true passion: triathlon.

Sports career
Mónica "Toti" Fernández at the finish line, Badwater Ultramarathon, 2008.

After participating in several triathlon races, both sprint and Olympic, Toti participated in her first Ironman, becoming the first Guatemalan female to finish this race (Hawaii, 1997).

Seeking further challenges and longer distances, Toti registered for an Ultraman competition,[1] a three-day triathlon that circles the island of Kona, the largest island in Hawaii. After becoming a two-time Ultraman world champion in 2000 y 2001, Toti decided to train for ultra marathons.

She has participated in three of the ten toughest races in the world, as classified by National Geographic: the Marathon des Sables,[2] Badwater[3] and Furnace Creek 508, now called Silver State 508.[4]

Toti was the second placed woman and twelfth overall at the Death Valley Cup,[5] a double race consisting of Badwater and Furnace Creek 508 during the same calendar year.

Present
Mónica "Toti" Fernández and her autobiography: 130,000 Miles.

Toti is presently living in Guatemala City with her two sons. Founder and teacher of Baby Survival Swim, a swimming school that trains children and babies to survive in case they accidentally fall into a body of water, by now she can account for several testimonies of survival. Toti also specializes in teaching technique and style to children ages four and older, and teaches adults as well.

She is the author of the autobiographic book "210,000 kilómetros" (130,000 Miles), in which she narrates her own experience in three of top ten toughest competitions in the world according to National Geographic,[6] sharing with the reader not only her sports career but also the most difficult moments and challenges of her personal life. The purpose of the book is to share her experiences, both the good and the bad, and to motivate her readers to pursue their dreams by turning dreams into goals. Her motto is: “In life, when facing an obstacle, one can decide to be a victim or a warrior. I chose to be a warrior.” She also narrates how Baby Survival Swim originated and how she went about to make it happen, in spite of obstacles and hardship.

Presently, Toti gives talks and lectures on leadership, teamwork, motivation, crisis and conflict management, planning and strategy, change, and facing our fears. She wants to influence on change, motivating others to pursue their dreams and turn them into goals. “If we all become better versions of ourselves, this will have an impact on our community, on society and on the world at large”.

Awards
Competition Put Place Year
Death Valley Cup Second Woman  United States 2008
Furnace Creek 508, 819 km of cycling non-stop Second  United States 2008
Badwater Ultramarathon, 217 km non-stop Seventh  United States 2008
Ironman Western Australia Second  Australia 2007
Marathon Des Sables Seventh  Morocco 2003
Leadville Ultramarathon Seventh  United States 2002
Marathon Des Sables Tenth  Morocco 2002
World-wide Ultraman World Championship First  United States 2001
Ironman Canada  Canada 2001
World-wide Ultraman World Championship First  United States 2000
Ironman Lake Placid  United States 2000
World-wide Ironman World Championship  United States 1998
Quelle Ironman Roth  Germany 1998
World-wide Ironman World Championship  United States 1997
Triathlon National Champion in olympic distance  Guatemala 1995
First Sprint Triathlon  Guatemala 1991

Bibliography

Fernández, Mónica Toti (2015). 210,000 kilómetros. Autobiografía. ISBN 9789929644267.

Fernández, Mónica Toti (2015). 130,000 Miles. Autobiografía.

References
  1. "Ultra Man World Championship". 2000–2001.
  2. "Marathon des Sables". 2003.
  3. "Badwater Ultramarathon". 2008.
  4. "Silver State 508". 2008.
  5. "Death Valley Cup". 2008. Archived from the original on 2016-05-11.
  6. "Top 10 Toughest Races by National Geographic". 2009.
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