The world watched with bated breath as 160 determined women assembled at the Olympic Marathon Trials on February 3 in Orlando, Florida, each fueled by their Paris Olympics 2024 dreams. Among the countless aspirants stood Dakotah Lindwurm, a Minnesota native, with her modest achievements in high school and a humble start as a walk-on for the track team at Division II Northern State University in Aberdeen. During the race, Lindwurm was in a titanic struggle with seasoned runners like Caroline Rotich and Sara Hall.

Meanwhile, Fiona O’Keeffe surged ahead to clinch victory with a time of 2:22:10, while Emily Sisson secured second place in 2:22:42. Yet it was Lindwurm’s sheer resilience that set her apart and she clocked a time of 2:25:31, earning the final spot on Team USA at the Paris Olympics. As we reflect on her remarkable triumph, a narrative of perseverance emerges, chronicling Lindwurm’s journey from homelessness to the pinnacle of Olympic glory.

Dakotah Lindwurm’s poignant story of homelessness

According to Runner’s World, growing up in St. Francis, a stone’s throw from Minneapolis, life threw Dakotah Lindwurm and her family tough curveballs. At just 10 years old, her parents split, and shortly after, her mom fell ill with mysterious autoimmune diseases, which made it tough for her mom to hold down a job or get government assistance. So sometimes, they didn’t have a place to call home. They’d crash on relatives’ couches or bunk down in their car, parked in the Walmart lot since it never closed. Dakotah kept their struggles from her dad, not wanting to stress him out. But when he finally found out, he didn’t hesitate.

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He swooped in and secured them a proper roof over their heads, and he even moved into the basement so Dakotah and her mom could each have their rooms upstairs. For Dakotah, it was like a weight lifted off her shoulders. She remembers those tough times, saying, “I remember feeling like life wasn’t fair in those times.” But looking back, she sees it differently. “I look back at it, and obviously it made me gritty and tough,” she shared. Now, amidst her pursuit of Olympic glory, let us reflect on Dakotah’s thoughts of her beloved mother.

Thoughts of her mother on her road to the Paris Olympics 2024

Her mom was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer that had already spread throughout her body in May 2020. Tragically, just three weeks later, her mother passed away. In an interview with KARE 11 shortly after securing her ticket to the Paris Olympics 2024, Lindwurm bravely shared, “I have thought of her every minute since I crossed that finish line.”

She continued, “I really wish I could be celebrating with her today. But I know someday I’ll get to celebrate with her in heaven, and I can’t wait for that day.” As we reflect on her remarkable journey, fans of this rising star await her triumph at the Paris Olympics 2024, bringing honor to the USA, just as she has undoubtedly made her parents proud.

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