Kathmandu, July 4 -- She made headlines in 2014: a young woman from the mountains of eastern Nepal had just won the 50km Himalayan Outdoor trail race.

Mira Rai was 23 then, the only Nepali female in the race. She had no training, no proper shoes, just a cotton t-shirt and shorts, and did not even know what trail running was. Two months later, helped by organisers who saw her talent, she won three more international trail races.

Mira Rai has been running all her life. She grew up running up and down from her village to the market town in Hile across the Arun River, carrying sacks of salt or rice with her mother. The farm did not grow enough food to feed her five siblings.

Mira Rai At age 12, Mira was already carrying 12kg on her back, w...