Dakota Lindwurm played hockey every free moment she had as a kid and dreamed of becoming a professional goalie. When her mom worried she was getting a little too obsessed, she told her she needed to add another sport for balance. Lucky for us, Dakotah chose running because she brings huge passion & joy to our sport. Dakotah managed to rock the Macarena at mile 24 of Grandma's Marathon 2022 while defending her title and running 2:25:01—the 12th fastest women's American marathon time ever!

Dakotah was a walk-on at Northern State where she had to convince her coach, Kevin Bjerke, to take a chance on her before becoming a 2X D2 All-American. He became her biggest advocate, helped her to dream big, and convinced her she could make the Olympic Trials as a marathoner. Next, Dakotah connected with Minnesota Distance Elite Team and current coach, Chris Lundstrum, who is now working with her to chase down even bigger dreams.

We discuss: key coaches/mentors: Andy Forbort, Kevin Bjerke, Chris Lundstrum; the gift of self-belief; becoming a biology teacher vs pursuing her dream; betting on herself and convincing others to get on board; Hawi Management & her Puma deal; learnings from CIM; her first marathon finish; getting the A-standard OTQ at Grandma's; the Atlanta Olympic Trials experience; race day feels from a 2:25; mantras; what's next; community service; & so much more!

What makes Dakotah so easy to root for is that she loves to take big swings:

"When I toe the line, I dare greatly. I push the envelope every time and try to find the top end of my fitness. I give myself the best shot to have the best day—which means I have a lot of bad days, but all of those bad days are worth one of these great days."

Dakotah is a rockstar & I'm so grateful for the positive energy shared and the many great takeaways in this one!

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Connect With Dakotah:

Instagram: @dakotahlindwurm

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc

Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc

Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats

Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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© 2022 Ron Romano