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Name: Yang Yu-jin
Current activity: Competing in one of the world’s four most extreme marathons, becoming the youngest Korean woman to complete the Grand Slam
Gap year period: September 2013 – December 2014 (15 months total)
Countries of activity: Jordan (Sahara Desert), China (Gobi Desert)
Q. Please tell us about the reason for your gap year or the preparation process.
“One semester before graduation”
Summer 2013. I was already a senior in college. One semester before graduation, like many of my friends, I was studying aptitude tests and English with the goal of landing a job at a company. However, I never felt a single pounding of excitement or excitement while studying. Nevertheless, many people commonly cited the criteria for happiness as managing grades, participating in extracurricular activities, landing a job at a large corporation, or pursuing a professional career, so I agonized over whether I should pursue this path.
After much deliberation, I decided, “Rather than graduating like this, I’ll truly pursue my passion and pursue what my heart desires!” This led me to dream of completing the Grand Slam of the world’s four most extreme desert marathons through my regular marathon experience. With that goal in mind, I maintained my fitness by running 100km a week and hiking once a week for six months, and began setting specific goals to reach the desert in seven months.
Q. Tell us about your gap year experience.
“The first hurdle: the cost of participation.”
The world’s four most extreme desert marathons are four races: the Sahara, Gobi, Atacama, and Antarctica, each lasting 250km, and lasting six nights and seven days. Each race costs a minimum of 7.5 million won, including a 4 million won entry fee, 2 million won airfare, 1 million won equipment, and 500,000 won for other accommodations. Therefore, for college students like me, who had no money, the only way to go was to ask for sponsorship. During the seven months of preparation, I was slowly preparing to go to the Sahara Desert in February 2014. Then, in November, I heard that a book launch event for my book, “When You Want to Cry, Go to the Sahara,” would award the participation fee and airfare to the best promoter of the book through a UCC. I immediately created a UCC and promoted the video of my dream on Facebook, beating the odds of 1,000 to 1 to win the event.
Furthermore, my proposal to The North Face for equipment sponsorship went so well that I received a year of material support. That’s when I met myself running through the Sahara Desert in February 2014. Once I got there, carrying a 9kg pack under the scorching sun for six nights and seven days, running 250km was no ordinary feat. I thought I’d prepared well for the desert run, but upon actually starting, I realized I lacked the practice and experience to handle the rutted sand. Ultimately, on the fourth day, I suffered knee and ankle injuries, rendering me unable to run any further. After the injuries, I barely managed to walk, limping, to earn a medal for completing the 250km race. After returning to Korea and receiving treatment for my leg, I began preparing for my second goal, the Gobi Desert in China, three months later.
“Second Challenge, Gobi Desert”
Being my second attempt, preparations were much easier than for the other participants. However, the biggest challenge was finding sponsors again. I submitted proposals to several outdoor companies and waited for a response, but the reality was that not a single one responded. I realized firsthand that securing a significant sponsorship of over 5 million won for a female college student’s bid to become the youngest female Grand Slam champion in Korea was more challenging than I’d anticipated. I was facing a difficult situation, and with the mindset of “let’s see it through!” I continued to research sponsors. Finally, Dong-A Pharmaceutical and Dong-A Otsuka agreed to sponsor the Gobi Desert. Ten days before the race, I registered for the race and barely managed to set off for the Gobi Desert.
The Gobi Desert wasn’t a barren sandy desert, but rather a romantic desert of lush green grasslands, as the song goes, “Build a picturesque house on that green meadow.” Reminiscent of Korea’s mountains, the Gobi Desert offered a long day of running 68 kilometers in a single day, and another day of climbing two mountains to 2,800 meters. Breathless and exhausted, my first thought was, “Still, I should be grateful for the opportunity to run in such a beautiful place, at my age and in my circumstances.” After giving it my all until the very end, I was able to take the honor of third place overall for the women and receive a finisher’s medal.
With this, I’m exactly halfway to achieving my Grand Slam goal this year. The road ahead is long and arduous, with the Atacama Desert in October and the Antarctic race in November remaining, but I plan to give it my all until I achieve my goal. True to my youth!
Q. What has changed since your gap year, or what have you gained from it?
“What your heart tells you to do”
Since taking a gap year, I’ve started to pursue what I truly desire and what my heart tells me to do, rather than the world’s standards for “employment at a large corporation.” I’ve seen many friends struggle with making decisions because they feel like they’re lagging behind their peers and feel anxious. However, by focusing on what I truly want, challenging myself, and having time to talk to myself, I’ve been able to gradually establish my own standards for happiness. As a result, my self-esteem has improved, and I’ve had time to carefully consider and make choices about how to live my life going forward.
Q. Finally, is there anything you’d like to say to young people planning a gap year?
I don’t necessarily want to tell young people in their 20s like me that they must have a dream.
I believe that, regardless of whether or not they have a dream, the more important thing is whether they’re currently doing something they truly want to do and cherish.
The path I’m currently on is always vague and confusing. To be more precise, I’m unsure. However, I believe that by filling and emptying the life I’ve been given, and walking the path of discovering what’s most precious to me, I can gain the wisdom to make choices without regrets when faced with the many choices and challenges along the way, and the courage to put them into action.
Ultimately, my message is not to pursue vague dreams for the future, but to boldly face the present, in this reality. “With determination and confidence, there’s nothing you can’t do!” We call this courage “youth.” Let’s live in the present, ‘like youth’.
Check out various gap year programs on the Korea Gapyear website.
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