Finding Gobi
THE SUNDAY TIMES NO.2 BESTSELLERLike A Streecat Named Bob before it, Finding Gobi is a truly heart-warming story for animal lovers worldwide…In 2016, Dion Leonard, a seasoned ultramarathon runner, unexpectedly stumbled across a little stray dog while competing in a gruelling 155 mile race across the Gobi Desert. The lovable pup, who earned the name ‘Gobi’, proved that what she lacked in size, she more than made up for in heart, as she went step for step with Dion over the treacherous Tian Shan Mountains, managing to keep pace with him for nearly 80 miles.As Dion witnessed the incredible determination of this small animal, he felt something change within himself. In the past he had always focused on winning and being the best, but his goal now was simply to make sure that his new friend was safe, nourished and hydrated. Although Dion did not finish first, he felt he had won something far greater and promised to bring Gobi back to the UK for good to become a new addition to his family. This was the start of a journey neither of them would ever forget with a roller coaster ride of drama, grief, heartbreak, joy and love that changed their lives forever.Finding Gobi is the ultimate story of hope, of resilience and of friendship, proving once again, that dogs really are ‘man’s best friend.’
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This is a work of nonfiction. The events and experiences detailed herein are all true and have been faithfully rendered as remembered by the author, to the best of his ability, or as they were told to the author by people who were present. Others have read the manuscript and confirmed its rendering of events. However, in certain instances names of individuals have been changed.
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First published in the UK by HarperCollinsPublishers 2017
FIRST EDITION
© Dion Leonard 2017
Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers 2018
Cover photograph © Jasper John
All photographs used with permission. Photographs from the 2013 and 2014 Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon are courtesy of KAEM; photographer Hermien Webb.
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
Dion Leonard asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
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Source ISBN: 9780008227951
Ebook Edition © June 2017 ISBN: 9780008227975
Version 2018-06-27
For my wife, Lucja.
Without your endless support, dedication, and
love, this never would have been possible.
Contents
The camera crew finished up last night. Someone from the publisher arrives tomorrow. I can still feel the jet lag and other side effects of forty-one hours of travel in my body. So Lucja and I have already decided to make this, our first run of the year, an easy one. Besides, itâs not just the two of us we need to think about. Thereâs Gobi to consider.
We take it easy as we pass the pub, drop down beside Holyrood Palace, and see the clear blue sky give way to the grassy mountain that dominates Edinburghâs skyline. Arthurâs Seat. Iâve run up there more times than I can remember, and I know it can be brutal. The wind can be so strong in your face that it pushes you back. The hail can bite into your skin like knives. On days like those, I crave the 120-degree heat of the desert.
But today thereâs no wind or hail. Thereâs nothing brutal about the air as we climb, as if the mountain wants to show itself off in all its cloudless glory.
As soon as we hit the grass, Gobi is transformed. This dog thatâs small enough for me to carry under one arm is turned into a raging lion as she pulls forward up the slope.
âWow!â says Lucja. âLook at her energy!â
Before I can say anything, Gobi turns around, tongue lolling out, eyes bright, ears forward, chest puffed. Itâs as if she understands exactly what Lucjaâs said.
âYou havenât seen anything yet,â I say, pushing the pace up a bit in an attempt to loosen the strain on the leash. âShe was just like this back in the mountains.â
We push farther up, closer to the summit. Iâm thinking how, even though I named her after a desert, I first saw Gobi on the cold, rugged slopes of the Tian Shan. Sheâs a true climber, and with every step we take, she comes more and more alive. Soon her tail is wagging so fast it blurs, her whole body bouncing and pulsing with pure joy. When she looks back again, I swear sheâs grinning. Come on! she says. Letâs go!
At the top, I soak in all the familiar sights. The whole of Edinburgh is spread out beneath us, and beyond it is the Forth Bridge, the hills of Lomond, and the West Highland Way, every one of whose ninety-six miles I have run. I can see North Berwick, too, a full marathon distance away. I love the run along the beach, even on the tough days when the wind is trying to batter me down and every mile feels like a battle all its own.
Itâs been more than four months since Iâve been here. While itâs all familiar, thereâs something different about it as well.
Gobi.
She decides itâs time to descend and drags me down the hill. Not down the path, but straight down. I leap over tufts of grass and rocks the size of suitcases, Lucja keeping pace beside me. Gobi navigates them all with skill. Lucja and I look at each other and laugh, enjoying the moment we have longed for, to be a family and finally able to run together.
