“Not Someday. Now.”: Athlete Carries Young Woman to the Summit of Mount Olympus in a 10-Hour Ascent

An extraordinary feat of endurance, planning, and human compᴀssion unfolded on Greece’s highest mountain when elite ultra-marathon runner Marios Giannakou carried a young woman with a disability to the summit of Mount Olympus, fulfilling her lifelong dream in a moment that has since inspired audiences around the world.

Giannakou is no stranger to extreme physical challenges. Over the course of his athletic career, he has completed some of the world’s most demanding endurance events, including a 168-mile race across the Dubai desert, a 93-mile ultra-marathon in Antarctica, and a 155-mile run through the Costa Rican jungle. He had also already climbed Mount Olympus 50 times prior to this ascent.

Despite his extensive experience, it was not another compeтιтive challenge that led him back to the mountain—but a promise.

He met 22-year-old biology student Eleftheria Tosiou through a mutual friend. Born with a medical condition that prevents her from walking, Eleftheria had long held a dream of reaching the summit of Mount Olympus, Greece’s highest peak and a site of deep cultural and mythological significance.

When she shared her hope of climbing the mountain “someday,” Giannakou responded immediately: “Not someday. Now.”

Within days, he began organizing what would become a highly coordinated expedition. He studied weather conditions, ᴀssembled an eight-member support team that included police officers and specialized rescue personnel, and arranged for a custom-designed backpack engineered to safely carry a person during a high-alтιтude ascent.

On October 5, 2020, the plan became reality. Eleftheria was carefully secured into the specialized carrier, and Giannakou began the ascent. The climb, which required navigating challenging terrain and significant elevation gain, took 10 hours and 2 minutes to complete.

The timing of the achievement carried additional emotional weight. Just one day before their ascent, a climber had lost their life on the same mountain, underscoring the inherent risks involved in such an undertaking.

At 9:02 AM, the team reached the summit. There, Giannakou and Eleftheria unfurled the Greek flag together and shared an emotional moment that moved many witnesses to tears.

Giannakou later reflected on the experience, stating that his international compeтιтions and athletic achievements felt insignificant compared to what they had accomplished together on Olympus.

The moment also drew national attention, with the Prime Minister of Greece reportedly calling to congratulate them while they were still on the mountain.

For Eleftheria, the journey did not end there. Inspired by the experience, she later pursued another dream—skydiving—which she also accomplished.

Their story has since resonated widely as an example of what becomes possible when determination, preparation, and compᴀssion intersect. It challenges conventional ideas of achievement, suggesting that the greatest victories are not always measured in speed or distance, but in shared human experience.

In a world often focused on records and rankings, their ascent of Mount Olympus stands as a reminder that some journeys are not about compeтιтion at all—but about helping someone reach a place they once thought impossible.