LIMA — Although the majority of people in Lima were not aware, an Olympian spent the last few days in town.
And for those brief few days, Wednesday through Sunday, the Lima YMCA was an Olympic training center.
Abbey D’Agostino, a competitor in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, was in Lima with her boyfriend, Jacob Cooper. D’Agostino and Cooper were visiting family and friends. Cooper is a Shawnee High School graduate and grew up in the Lima area. D’Agostino and Cooper, both lifelong YMCA members, used the local facility to stay in shape while here on their visit.
It was not the type of notoriety that D’Agostino was hoping for when she became a household name on Aug. 16, but the performance was no less admirable. D’Agostino was running in a heat of the 5,000 meter race and was right behind a runner from New Zealand, Nikki Hamblin. Hamblin stumbled and fell to the track, accidentally tripping D’Agostino.
D’Agostino stopped to check to see if her Olympic rival could continue and helped her off the ground. The move quickly grabbed the notice of everyone watching. After helping Hamblin to her feet, it was clear just moments later that D’Agostino had been injured in the collision. She collapsed to the ground a few minutes later. This time, Hamblin came to her aid, helping D’Agostino up. She completed the rest of her laps in excruciating pain, to find Hamblin waiting for her at the finish line.
After a brief hug, D’Agostino was whisked away in a wheelchair. It was later revealed that she had suffered major injuries to her ACL, MCL and meniscus. A protest to the committee put both D’Agostino and Hamblin in the finals, along with another affected runner. However, D’Agostino was unable to participate because of the injuries.
D’Agostino had surgery in September and now is six months post-op. She has not given up on her goals and has her eyes set on the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She is preparing for that battle.
“The Olympics are the ultimate goal,” D’Agostino said. “There still is the World Games, the European cycle, but the Olympics is my goal.”
D’Agostino said she has cut down from running about 80 miles a week because of stress injuries and is now running about 55 miles a week along with a lot of aerobic cross-training while she works on a full recovery.
D’Agostino and Cooper met through a mutual acquaintance in Boston, where the couple now live. D’Agostino is from nearby Topsfield, Massachusetts. Cooper said the couple met at a church where they both attend.
D’Agostino said she is approached by many running hopefuls, especially high school athletes, and said her advice is always the same.
“Keep it fun early,” D’Agostino said. “There is so much early specialization now and kids are geared toward a clear platform. I am not a big believer in that. Keep the emphasis on the affirmative and remember why you are passionate. Burning out early is common. Make sure you safeguard against it.”
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