American flags wave overhead as Keira D’Amato runs through the finish line of the World Athletics Championships marathon and straight into the arms of her fellow competitors for a hug. Cheers arise from the crowd, which includes her husband and two children who are delighted that Mom has secured 8th place.
D’Amato herself is proud of all the accomplishments that led her to representing her country in such a significant way. “In a way, it just feels like this is my fun thing,” D’Amato said about running. “It’s my hobby. Some people are in book clubs. Some people collect stamps or coins. This is what I do.”
D’Amato took great pleasure in running, but it didn’t occur to her that she could race on global levels until securing a time of 2:47:00 in the 2017 Richmond Marathon, two minutes short of the 2020 Olympic trials qualifying mark. Training ensued, and she then finished 15th with a time of 2:34:24 at the Olympic trials in February 2020.
Balancing athletic life and motherly life is a daunting but rewarding task for D’Amato. She makes sure to spend time with her 2 children: 7-year-old Thomas and 5 year old Quin. “When I come home from a race, whether I win or lose, they’re like: ‘Hey, Mom. What’s for dinner?’ They don’t care, you know?” When she’s not training in her personal gym dubbed the “D’Amato Pain Cave”, she’s getting ready to pick up her kids from summer camp or passing time with them by the pool.
Before kids though, D’Amato’s devotion to running came to a tragic stop. She had foot surgery in 2009 due to a bone problem in her left foot. She tried a marathon soon after, but she described the experience as “a perfect storm of everything that could go wrong in a marathon.”
She resumed training and worked on her speed, with support from her friends and family, as well as her coach Raczko, who watched her grow over the years. “I don’t even know if she would have had the capability to do this when she was younger,” said an impressed Raczko. She would run numerous races and get even better before receiving an invitation to the world championships. One day, she equipped herself with some yellow-rimmed track shoes and ran laps with her coach. The next, she got a phone call providing her with the chance to snatch a major accomplishment in her lifetime- and snatch it she did.
Link:
https://richmond.com/sports/local/a-life-changing-day-richmonds-keira-damato-proves-she-can-hang-with-the-worlds-best/article_5d0a02ad-050f-5548-82f8-62ab73dae7d7.html
D’Amato herself is proud of all the accomplishments that led her to representing her country in such a significant way. “In a way, it just feels like this is my fun thing,” D’Amato said about running. “It’s my hobby. Some people are in book clubs. Some people collect stamps or coins. This is what I do.”
D’Amato took great pleasure in running, but it didn’t occur to her that she could race on global levels until securing a time of 2:47:00 in the 2017 Richmond Marathon, two minutes short of the 2020 Olympic trials qualifying mark. Training ensued, and she then finished 15th with a time of 2:34:24 at the Olympic trials in February 2020.
Balancing athletic life and motherly life is a daunting but rewarding task for D’Amato. She makes sure to spend time with her 2 children: 7-year-old Thomas and 5 year old Quin. “When I come home from a race, whether I win or lose, they’re like: ‘Hey, Mom. What’s for dinner?’ They don’t care, you know?” When she’s not training in her personal gym dubbed the “D’Amato Pain Cave”, she’s getting ready to pick up her kids from summer camp or passing time with them by the pool.
Before kids though, D’Amato’s devotion to running came to a tragic stop. She had foot surgery in 2009 due to a bone problem in her left foot. She tried a marathon soon after, but she described the experience as “a perfect storm of everything that could go wrong in a marathon.”
She resumed training and worked on her speed, with support from her friends and family, as well as her coach Raczko, who watched her grow over the years. “I don’t even know if she would have had the capability to do this when she was younger,” said an impressed Raczko. She would run numerous races and get even better before receiving an invitation to the world championships. One day, she equipped herself with some yellow-rimmed track shoes and ran laps with her coach. The next, she got a phone call providing her with the chance to snatch a major accomplishment in her lifetime- and snatch it she did.
Link:
https://richmond.com/sports/local/a-life-changing-day-richmonds-keira-damato-proves-she-can-hang-with-the-worlds-best/article_5d0a02ad-050f-5548-82f8-62ab73dae7d7.html
