Meet Keira D’Amato, the 36-year-old elite runner signs with Nike—the brand of shoes she’s been wearing since 2016.
The following written content by Taylor Dutch
Keira D’Amato, a full-time realtor and mom of two, thinks of her elite running career in two rounds separated by almost a decade.
Round 1 was her college years; she raced for American University from 2002 to 2006, where she became a four-time All-American and 11-time Patriot League champion. After struggling with stress fractures in her post-collegiate years, this chapter ended in heartbreak when she underwent ankle surgery in 2009.
Round 2 started in the summer of 2016, after a seven-year hiatus from running; D’Amato’s husband Anthony was on deployment in the Air National Guard, and she was taking care of two toddlers at home in Midlothian, Virginia. It was a lonely time for D’Amato, and she used running as a way to reward herself amid busy days spent as a single parent for four months. During those solo miles, the speed she developed in college and her love for the sport returned in a way she never expected.
Last year was D’Amato’s best year of running to date—she notched an American record, a top-10 spot on the U.S. all-time list of fastest marathoners, obliteration of previous personal bests, and the return of her Olympic dream—all during a pandemic.
In her pursuit of what she calls “unfinished business,” those breakthroughs have led D’Amato to her first endorsement contract with a pro sponsor. In February, the 36-year-old signed with Nike.
“Having a second chance at this is just, I can’t even tell you, I’m about to cry. I’m so grateful to try to rewrite my story with running because it didn’t end the way that I wanted it to end,” D’Amato told Runner’s World in a video call. “I feel so thankful that I get to pick a new ending, and I want this ending to be awesome.” Read more from Runner’s World.
