March 8th was International Women’s Day, a meaningful date that reminds me of the amazing accomplishments of women before me, and inspires me to pursue my own goals.
My Ultra Role Model
In honor of this special day, I have dedicated this post to an amazing woman ultrarunner – Courtney Dauwalter.
I already mentioned Courtney a couple times in my blog. She was a big part of why I decided to start down this crazy road in the first place. Not only is she a powerhouse of ultrarunning, but she is also a really fun person with a great approach to the sport.
The Back Story
I have gathered some details about Courtney based on the various interviews I have watched and articles I have read. Definitely not the whole story, but hopefully enough so readers can get an appreciation.
Courtney grew up in Minnesota and competed in track, cross-country and Nordic skiing in high school. She was successful in these sports and attended University of Denver on a cross-country skiing scholarship, eventually becoming a teacher (after getting a master’s degree). Determination and hard work allowed her to accomplish a ton before even entering the world of ultrarunning.
Although she is a top tier professional competitor now, she did not instantly start winning races. She has said that trail running did not come naturally and that she is still working to master the terrain. It took several years and many lessons learned before she established herself as a legend of the sport.
The G.O.A.T.
Courtney has a gazillion wins under her belt at this point stretching back over 10+ years. At 39 years old, she continues to set course records. In 2023 she won three of the world’s biggest 100 mile runs: Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in France, Hard Rock 100 in Colorado and Western States 100 in California. She set new women’s course records in the latter two races.
Her fastest time in one of these 100 mile races was 15 hours. To put this into perspective, I get up to 13.5 hours to run my measly 50k (31 miles)…
Mindset Matters
Aside from her amazing athleticism, Courtney also has a really unique mindset as an ultrarunner. A few personality traits that I most admire include:
- Resiliency – As mentioned, Courtney has worked her way to the top of ultrarunning. It has not always been easy, but she has developed the mental fortitude to push through the pain. This is a skill that I hope to emulate during my 50k at Sinister 7.
- Humility – The first thing you come across after searching “Courtney Dauwalter” will undoubtedly mention her humble personality. Although I am sure that she is an incredibly competitive person (she would have to be), there is never a sense that she is braggy about a win or bitter about a loss. This is my inspo for keeping things in perspective throughout this process.
- Living in the moment – Courtney retired from teaching in 2017 after going pro. She seized the opportunity to pursue ultrarunning full time and always talks about how thankful she is for this life. In the same way I need to remain appreciative of my ability to participate in Sinister 7. This could very well be a once in a lifetime experience for me.
Courtney is just one of the many amazing female role models in my life. Thank you to the women around me who empower me to pursue my goals and support me along the way!
