A Winnipeg woman has returned home after taking on an epic challenge – a 250 kilometer run through the Sahara desert.

Caroline Wiebe, 50, landed at Winnipeg airport on Tuesday evening after competing in the 2022 Marathon des Sables in Morocco.

“It was an absolutely amazing adventure to be able to go out there and be part of an event like that,” she said at the airport on Tuesday.

She was just one of 14 Canadian women entered in the six-day race, which poses many challenges for participants, including sleeping in tents and carrying their own food.

Wiebe said her personal challenges include blistering feet, staying hydrated and functioning with little rest.

She also faced a storm that brought winds of around 90 km/h and poor visibility.

“There was just no way to get our food out and be able to eat,” she said.

“I was low on energy that day and actually ran out of water to climb a mountain.”

Wiebe prepared for the race for two years and said finishing the race was one of the hardest things she had ever done.

“It was very emotional, to say the least,” she said.

“Being able to persevere and persevere day by day, to keep going and be able to finish it.”

Wiebe said she felt proud and accomplished, adding that doing the race was one of her dreams.

“I was ready to get comfortable with the discomfort,” Wiebe said.