LOOK AND SEE HOW THEY RAN Cheri Goddard-Kenah Photo: Victor Sailor/Photo Run KR Mini-Interview KR: Which sports did you play at the age of ten? Cheri: I played softball, t-ball, and volleyball. KR: Did you participate in any training for running? Cheri: I didn't do any formal training until I was close to 14 when I joined the track team for the first time. KR: Did you run during your playtime? Cheri: I used to play fire engine, when I was in kindergarten and I used to beat all the boys. I also played tag a lot with my sister and our babysitter. Here's how you play: Kids divide into groups. Everyone in each group gets a number. This number matches someone's number in each of the other groups. The teacher calls out a number and all those with that number run down to a cone and back. The first one back wins. Then the next number is called. Whichever team has the most winners wins the game. KR: How many hours or miles did you spend or cover on running and other sports? Cheri: Countless. FACTS Cheri came in 2nd in 1997, 1999 and 2001 USA in the Indoor 3000m, 2nd in 1998 at the USA Indoor Mile. KR: What are your running accomplishments that you are most proud of? CHERI: Individual NY State Champion 3000 m and cross country NY State team champions in cross country (Saratoga Springs HS) While at Villanova University we were four time team NCAA Champions in cross country. I was also an 11 time all American. The team championships always seem better than the individual ones because you get to share them with 6 other people. In 1999 I won the Freihofer's Road race which was the US 5k road race championships. I was 11 the at the world championships in Seville Spain and ranked #1 in the US for the 5k. In 2001 I was a member of the Indoor world Championship team that competed in Lisbon, Portugal. I was also a member of the World Championship cross country team that competed in Oostend, Belgium. Birthday: December 26, 1970 Place of Birth: New Hartford, New York Cheri is married to Olympian Rich Kenah. She also comes from a family of runners. She has traveled to 37 of the US states and 17 foreign countries all to compete in different races. KR LINKS Cheri's Kid Graphic (above) is adapted from the November KR Calendar page. Goddard-Kenah, Cheri | USATF Bio |Adidas | Back to LOOK and SEE How they RAN Index Cheri was a communications major in college. Her real name is Cheryl Lynne. She still gets a craving for peanut butter and fluffernutter sandwiches once in a while. She used to have them for lunch as a child. When Joan Benoit Samuleson won the Olympic gold medal in the marathon in 1984 Cheri was glued to the TV screen. Joan was the person to whom Cheri looked up to for her strength and perseverance. Please email goodrow@infi.net with comments on this column.