USA TODAY International Edition
Young marathoner sets record for Dad
Sunday at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Winter Vinecki, 14, completed her seventh marathon to set a world record and become the youngest person to complete a marathon on every continent.
“This is for you, Dad,” she exclaimed while pointing to the sky.
It was a goal she set to honor her father, Michael, who died in 2009 from an extremely aggressive form of prostate cancer.
She has raised about $ 400,000 for prostate cancer research through the non- profit Team Winter, which she founded at age 9.
“It hasn’t quite set in yet,” Winter said. “I know that I’ve done something amazing here, but I can’t really put into words how it feels yet.
Winter’s mother, Dawn Estelle, completed each of the seven marathons alongside her daughter, making the pair the first mother- daughter duo to complete a marathon on every continent.
Winter has officially completed marathons in the USA ( North America), Kenya ( Africa), Antarctica, Mongolia ( Asia), Peru ( South America), New Zealand ( Australia) and Greece ( Europe).
Her marathon quest began stateside in April 2012 when she ran the Eugene Marathon in Eugene, Ore., and placed third in her age group. Next came the Amazing Maasai Marathon in September 2012 in Kenya, where she placed third overall for women.
Last April, she set a world record as the youngest person to complete a marathon in Antarctica’s King George Island.
In early June, she ran the Inca Trail Marathon to Machu Picchu, where she set the course record and was the women’s overall winner. In Asia, she ran in Mongolia in August, taking second overall for women.
In October, Winter completed the Great Barrier Island Wharf to Wharf Marathon in New Zealand and finished her marathon tour in Europe with the Athens Classic Marathon.
The young athlete has a rigorous class schedule at Stanford University Online High School and hopes to attend Stanford University.
She trains four to five days a week for two to three hours each day to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics as a fully qualified aerial skier.
“This is just the beginning,” Winter said. “As my dad taught me, never give in. Never give in despite the critics and the people that say it can’t be done.”