The St. Francis native will represent Team USA in the women's marathon.
MINNEAPOLIS — Former Division II college track and field athlete Dakota Lindworm is headed to Paris. The marathon runner will join Fiona O'Keefe and Emily Sisson as they represent the United States in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Lindwurm's determination to never give up is inspiring and is why she competes with the best athletes in the world.
“A lot of people saw Dakota's finish. [at Olympic Trials] “At first I thought, 'Where did she come from?' but she's really improved year after year,” Lindwurm's coach, Chris Lindstrom, said.
She says she inherited this positive mindset from her mother, and her strong work ethic from her father. Lindwurm was never a gifted athlete, and some would say she wasn't born with any talent. The 28-year-old has worked hard for every opportunity to succeed on the world's biggest stage.
“When I'm struggling during a long run, I know I can get through anything because I've been through much harder things before,” Lindwurm said.
She has overcome significant personal hurdles on her path to her goal of competing on the biggest stage, including a childhood spent homeless with her mother.
“Although those moments were tough, I was able to create some of the best memories with my mom during that time,” Lindwurm said.
Her parents divorced when she was young, when her mother, Connie Bullen, suffered from an undiagnosed autoimmune disease that led to financial difficulties and forced the couple to sleep in her car.
When Lindworm's father, Sean Bullen, found out, he bought a townhouse for the family to share: Connie lived on the first floor and he lived on the other, and Dakota grew up under the same roof as both parents, despite their divorce.
“I wasn't surprised because my parents cared very much about me and it seemed inconceivable that a parent wouldn't make that decision if it was right for their child,” Lindwurm said.
“She's the reason I got started on running. She was the reason I got started on other sports, so I wish she could have been here to see it all come to fruition.”
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