By Michela Gritti
UNCP alumnus Norman Junker was an outstanding Brave, and he is still showing that in his life outside of campus. He graduated in May 2025 with several cross country and track and field titles to his name, including multiple nominations for athlete of the year and a series of wins at the Conference Carolinas championships. Once he returned to his hometown in Germany, he decided that the finish line was never really a finish. He kept going, always guided by the same simple life slogan: life is too short to be scared of failing. You have nothing to lose. And he has proved that every step of the way.
On Oct. 2 he left the Black Forest in Germany, and fifty-nine days later, on Nov. 28, he reached the Sahara. He covered about three thousand five hundred kilometers with the goal of raising money and awareness for depression through the Deutsche DepressionsLiga.
Junker said there was never a moment when he thought he would not finish.
“I was one hundred percent sure I was going to make this happen. Get to the finish or die trying was the mentality.”
He did most of the run with his father, who followed the route by van. The two had not spent much time together in recent years, and this project brought them back into the same space after a long time apart.
“It strengthened our bond,” Junker said. “We got along really good the whole time.”
According to Junker, the only difference between them was that his father likes to plan everything while he prefers to rely on instinct.
“But it was great for him too,” he said. “He wrote a book about his life story during the journey.”
Some parts of the run were heavier than expected. The first stage in Morocco brought him through areas filled with trash and extreme poverty. There were nights running through slums with almost no light and moments when the road felt very unsafe. One moment, in particular, made him feel truly in danger.
“Two people tried to rob me on the way to the desert,” he said.
Even then, he never considered giving up.
Other moments felt unreal in a very good way. He said crossing the border from France to Spain was one of the most beautiful landscapes he had ever witnessed.
He slept better than he expected, usually seven to eight hours per night. He was able to eat well thanks to the van’s small kitchen and the local food he found along the way. He lost about three kilograms, but he never got sick.
Junker said the finish felt good, but in his mind he had already completed the challenge long before he reached the desert. The real experience happened on the road, day after day.
“It is definitely a ‘you had to be there experience,’” he said.
Before Run2Sahara, Junker completed other extreme challenges, including a run across Mallorca in one go last August. He covered more than three hundred kilometers in thirty–
“I wish I had one third of his determination,” said Jana Termos, a current member of the UNCP cross country team. “He has the strongest mindset ever.”
For Junker, the message behind the run matters as much as the distance.
“People should understand this,” he said. “Life is so short. In no time everything is gone. So why not just really chase your dreams down. You have nothing to lose. It is better to say I failed than what if.”
He said he will take on more adventures in the future, but for now they will be shorter because of time limits. He has one big idea in mind for the next years, but it would require support from major brands.
Run2Sahara was not just about distance or endurance. It showed the type of person he is. Determined. Purposeful. Someone who believes in doing something meaningful, even when it sounds unreal.
For updates on Junker’s projects, follow him on Instagram at @kilometerkopf.