Athlete Spotlight - Henriette Carvalho

Henriette was inspired by an American woman she met in France.  The woman was there to run the Paris marathon in celebration of her birthday.  The same woman also shared that she would run a marathon in a different country every other year with her family.  When Henriette moved back to Syracuse in 2018, she decided she too would run a marathon to celebrate her birthday; in fact her 60th birthday!  She was never a runner until joining the Fleet Feet No Boundaries 10K program which she learned of at an employee health fair.  Within 6 months of joining, she loved it so much she signed up for the Fleet Feet half marathon training program.  As we love to say, she drank the koolaid and was hooked on running.  Henriette is now the catalyst for so many others to become the best possible running version of themselves.

 

 

Henriette believes that Fleet Feet has helped encourage her to set goals and achieve anything she sets her mind to.  She has now completed both the Wineglass half/full marathon, her 1st major at Chicago, second major at NYC marathon and so many other half/full marathons.  Most recently, Henriette had an amazing race at the Erie marathon and placed 3rd in her age group!  Henriette stated, "I've met and learned a lot from knowledgeable and inspirational coaches and wonderful running buddies." 

 

 

Henriette's favorite aspects of the distance program are the training structure, incredible camaraderie among the runners, the most genuine/caring group of coaches, and the dear friends she's made along the way.  She said, "running has challenged me to get to know my body and mind better, through the advice of different fitness and health professionals."  Her one piece of advice to a new runner is to be patient and focus on your goals in order to avoid injuries or setbacks. 

 

 

Henriette believes that running has made her more resilient, determined, and less intimidated to face challenges in all areas of life.  She's even become a coach in a local running group to instill her love for running and a healthy lifestyle in others.  We have seen, first hand, Henriette's determination and growth.  We truly appreciate her joyful spirit and the kindness she shows to everyone around her.  We can't wait to see where her running journey takes her next.