116. Katie Izzo: From Broken to Best

Arkansas is widely known as "The Track Capital of the World" and has attracted some of the top talents, including distance star Katie Izzo. But Izzo's journey to national success included more than just a bump in the road. How? Well, while at Cal Poly, Izzo broke her leg in the middle of a race, leaving her stranded on the course before help finally came. After having a metal rod inserted in her leg and two years without competition, she found her way to Fayetteville where she came back with a fury—blasting past her personal bests, qualifying for Olympic trials and helping Arkansas win its first-ever cross country national championship. This is how Katie Izzo took the worst thing that could happen to a runner and became a champion.