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Elite marathon runner Ari Hendrix did not grow up dreaming of running. Up through college, Hendrix\u2019s athletic heart was firmly focused on the basketball court.\nBut when professional prospects didn\u2019t pan out after her college career ended, Hendrix had to face the harsh fast reality that the sport that had defined her days and shaped her dreams was over.\xa0\nThis is the story of letting go of one dream, and being open to discovering what new, unexpected dreams can arise.\xa0\nSo while Hendrix never considered running a sport of interest when she was young, her father\u2013who died just before Hendrix\u2019s senior year of college\u2013thought differently. He was amazed by her sprinting speed. With the enthusiasm of a proud dad, he would say that she could be fast enough to go to the Olympics.\xa0\xa0\nWhen Hendrix was faced with the loss of her basketball dreams, she decided she needed a focus, a big challenge that would require a big commitment. Remembering her father\u2019s vision of her becoming a runner, she decided to give it a go.\nHendrix wanted to do the hardest thing she could think of, so she signed up for a marathon.\xa0\nIn this episode, Hendrix traces her journey to running from basketball and how she went from completing that first marathon to now: Ari is currently training for the Olympic Trials Marathon as a sponsored athlete with the Oiselle Underbirds program. To qualify for the trials, runners must have run a 2:37 for the marathon or a 1:12 half marathon. To put this in basic terms: that is extremely difficult.\xa0\nHendrix qualified with a 2:35 marathon at the 2022 California International Marathon, more commonly known as CIM. This race is one that many athletes use to run their fastest times.\xa0\nIn addition to earning her spot at the trials, Hendrix is the third fastest runner on The List. (Erika Kemp is current first on The List; she ran 2:33 at the 2023 Boston Marathon). The List is an accounting of all of the American-born Black women who have broken 3 hours in the marathon. There are currently 31 women on The List.\nAri Hendrix's goal is to be first on The List.\nWays to Keep Up with Ari Hendrix\nInstagram: @ari_hendrix1\nMentioned in this Episode\nOiselle: https://www.oiselle.com/\nThe Underbirds sponsorship program: https://www.oiselle.com/pages/year-of-the-underbird\nThe List: https://tedcorbitt.com/black-female-marathon-history/\nBreaking Three Hours documentary: https://blackmarathoners.org/breaking-three-hours.shtml\nAdditional Women's Running Stories episodes featuring runners on The List\nErica Kemp: Championships, Challenges, and a Marathon Debut, at Boston\nSika Henry + Comrades Marathon: An Experience Like No Other\nErica Stanley-Dottin: A Sub-3-Hour Marathon Goal, A Team Dream Soars\nLIVE EVENT: Podium Pioneers Panel (ft Marilyn Bevans, Patty Dillon, Jacqueline Hansen), 2023 Boston Marathon Expo\nLIVE EVENT: Marilyn Bevan & Meagan Krifchin: Celebrating 50 Years of Women Running Boston\nWays to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories\nInstagram: @womensrunningstories\nTwitter: @WomenRunStories\nWebsite: womensrunningstories.com\nEmail host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com\nWomen's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/\nWomen's Running Stories is proud to be featured as one of the top 20 Women's Running podcasts by Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/womens_running_podcasts/\nWomen's Running Stories is proud to be featured as #4 on the GoodPods top Running podcasts list \nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices