Carrie welcomes Sika Henry back to the show! They hear all about her latest races including Comrades and her 51 mile ultra from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama commemorating the Selma to Montgomery March. They also chat about her wedding, her training, and so much more!
Recorded March 26, 2024
Sika Henry
I am a professional triathlete, corporate analyst, and lover of keeping my life active and fun. I started my athletic journey back in high school as a swimmer. As a collegiate high jumper / sprinter I became an NCAA All-American in Track and Field while earning my degree in Economics from Tufts University. Back then, I had no idea that long-distance running, cycling or swimming would become such a huge part of my life.
I signed up for my first local sprint triathlon back in 2013 and thoroughly enjoyed the process of training and getting myself ready for this new event. After this race, I had two important realizations:
1. I had a great time and that I would definitely want to participate in another triathlon and explore this community more
2. There were no other black people competing alongside me. Why?
It was then that I realized I had an important mission to fulfill – to create visibility for Black people in triathlons to push for diversity in the sport. This mission stuck with me throughout the years and was a large part of what brought me back to the sport after a gruesome bicycle crash in 2019 that left me hospitalized.
During the 2019 Ironman 70.3 Galveston race, in order to avoid swerving into another bike, I crashed into a barrier, leaving me with significant injuries. I thought I was done for good. During this time I received incredible support from those following my journey and realized my mission was important to them and that it mattered. I had to keep going.
Fast forward to 2021, I received my Pro Card and became the first U.S. Black female professional triathlete. It’s been a whirlwind of activity but throughout everything, I knew this was something I needed to put my mind, body, and soul into.
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