Sadi Henderson

Road to Atlanta Track Club Elite

Sadi won nine Montana state titles in high school, from the 4x100m relay to cross country, and then went on to become a 5-time All-American in college. After graduating from the University of San Francisco's School of Management in 2019, Sadi ran for Oiselle's Littlewing Athletics in Bend, OR, before joining Atlanta Track Club Elite.

The Coin Flip

Going into her freshman year of high school, Sadi was preparing to play setter on the volleyball team but was also tagging along with her brother to cross country practices - where she caught the eye of coaches. The week before school started, Sadi's stepfather told her that if she played her cards right, she could earn a scholarship to college, just like her sister. So, she told him to take a penny out of his pocket and flip it; if it landed on "heads" two out of three times, she would run cross country and never look back. "I had to awkwardly call and tell my volleyball coach that I wasn't going to be showing up to practice anymore," she recalls.

The Breakthrough

For three years before Pat McCurry became coach of Boise State in 2017, a notecard on Sadi's wall read 2:06 - her goal for 800 meters. In the 2017-18 season, the redshirt sophomore far exceeded it when she ran faster eight times, culminating with a 2:02:33 clocking. "That year taught me that you don't put limits on yourself, because you don't know what you're capable of. After Pat came, I went from working so hard and not seeing the results to not feeling that I was working much at all. I was blown away by the results and really achieving at a very rapid pace everything I had hoped would be possible."

The Meeting

Sadi's next notecard, at Littlewing, read 1:58. She ran it in 2021. Now it reads 1:55. When she met with Rich Kenah, Atlanta Track Club CEO, on a visit before deciding to join the Elite team, she appreciated that he "was willing to let me be honest about what I felt was possible - and audacious, as well. All of my goals are audacious. I felt that when we were talking, he really understood. It was part of the reason why I decided to come."

The Kids

During the Covid year, with little available in the way of competition, Sadi spent time reflecting on what was important to her and one of those things is a strong community presence and connection, in which the Club also believes. "One of the most rewarding things since I've been here is going to the Kilometer Kids practices. There's such a strong element of joy, and it's difficult to find that the higher you're getting in the sport, as the pressure grows, so that's been a tremendous positive. The kids are so present, it makes you present, as well. They just pull you into the moment."

The Outdoors

"I grew up in the mountains, in the woods. I've been so inspired by what nature has to offer. Being from Montana, it's impossible not to notice the stars and sunsets and rivers and animals. For anyone who leaves, that connection gets stronger because you realize how important it is. Part of being successful in running is finding something that brings you peace and that can restore your resilience, and I know that for me that's being in nature so I seek it out as much as I possibly can."

The City

Sadi said she's been pleasantly surprised at the amount of nature she can find near the city. Back in Montana, she watched people floating by fishing while she was taking an ice bath in the Bitterroot River one day; she ended up trying it a few times and loved it but never caught anything. Her first year in Atlanta, she traveled a few hours north and hired a guide; "we floated down the river and I finally caught some fish." That's not to say that she hasn't been enjoying Atlanta's urban scene, as well, especially the variety of restaurants.

The Inspiration

When Sadi was a year old, her mother left their fundamentalist Mormon community, which practiced polygamy. Her mom was just 26 at the time, with four children. It wasn't until Sadi was well into college that she began to realize how meaningful it was for her mother to divorce and make that move with no money while having the responsibility of four little ones. "My starting to understand her story at the time was pretty impactful for my running as well, because I wanted to embrace the bravery and boldness that she showed at that time of her life and continues to. … I see it as such a powerful thing, and I use that as inspiration in running to fuel my decisions and find my power."

How She Knows She's Ready to Race

"I think that in order to be ready to race you have to race, so I'm always ready to race. We could race right now; I'll be ready. I'll find a way. My best races have been the ones where I'm just doing what I'm doing every day. I'm just showing up to race and then something magical happens."