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This past week has been a tough one for Americans. After the October 31 attacks in New York City and the November 5 shootings in Sutherland Springs, Texas, it has been difficult to watch the nation grapple with its losses and attempt to move forward as history rolls on. One bright spot in the tough, disheartening news of this week has been the historic win of Shalane Flanagan.
Flanagan scored first place in the 2017 New York Marathon on Sunday, November 5, making her the first American woman to do so in over 40 years. Flanagan ran the race at a jaw-dropping speed, finishing the course in just under two and a half hours. That’s right. She ran 26 miles in two hours and 26 minutes.
Watching Flanagan cross the finish line is emotional, particularly because she told Good Morning America afterwards that she found motivation in “bringing a smile to New Yorkers’ faces” after the violence incidents on October 31 in Tribeca.
Shalane Flanagan waited long enough for this. We’ll let her say whatever she wants (H/T @JimmyDonofrio) pic.twitter.com/GeTLpawyLP
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 5, 2017
Since her win, Flanagan has been making the rounds in the press and opening up about her journey, which she calls a dream come true.
“I’ve been dreaming of a moment like this since I was a little girl,” Flanagan said. “All athletes have these dreams and these visions and it’s what motivates us to get out the door to train hard. I visualized a moment like this and so I was trying to soak it up, but I was also running a little terrified that I was going to get caught.
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Before her victory, Flanagan was an Olympian and a competitor in the 2013 Boston Marathon, during which the Boston Bombing took place. She’s a mother to two teenage daughters, who she began fostering with her husband Steve during the girls’ senior year of high school, according to ABC News.
Flanagan says that running makes her a “better person” and she intends to continue competing and training. She’s also a published author, having penned the New York Times-bestselling cookbook Run Fast Eat Slow and the forthcoming Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow.
Shalane Flanagan hugs her coach, breaks down into tears after becoming 1st US woman to win NYC marathon in 40 years. https://t.co/IMaK6PxHf8 pic.twitter.com/Et4XpKB9Fx
— ABC News (@ABC) November 6, 2017
As awful as the news can be, it’s stories like these that provide some hope. Shalane Flanagan’s story is inspiring and it’s one that will leave even more people feeling at least a little bit brighter in the face of so many hardships.
