, she instead became an alternate. And though her headline-making finishes seem recent, D’Amato is no stranger from the sport—she became the most decorated runner in American University’s history in college before taking a break for nearly a decade and then returning to the racing world a few years ago.
For one, she signed her first professional running contract with Nike at the age of 36—an age that’s pretty much unheard of in elite sport. D’Amato also has a day job—and will soon have two. She works as a realtor at her mother’s real estate brokerage in Fairfax, Virginia, and willin nearby Midlothian with her husband shortly. Add two kids to the mix—Tommy is 8 and Quin is 5—and it’s organized chaos. But D’Amato says she wouldn’t have her second chapter of running any other way.
Less than a decade later, though, she felt the itch to run again, and her running revival started in 2016. Her runs began casually at first, with a desire to get her endurance back following the birth of her children. Then in 2017, she and her husband, Anthony D’Amato, signed up for the Shamrock Marathon. D’Amato finished quicker than she had planned in just 3:14—but still 12 minutes behind Anthony.
Aw, thanks! You all rock! 🎸