Jenny Crain

Jenny Crain (born February 12, 1968 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin[1]) is an American retired runner. She competed in the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship in distances from 3000 meters to the marathon and in the U.S. Olympic Trials at 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon distances.

On August 21, 2007, while on a training run for her fourth Olympic Marathon Trials, Crain was hit by an automobile. She suffered a myriad of injuries including extensive brain damage, ending her competitive running career and starting a lifetime of rehabilitation.[2]

Running career

Jenny Crain followed her brother, Peter, into competitive running in at Franklin High School in Franklin, Wisconsin.[3] She continued her running at Ohio University where she earned All-MAC honors.[4]

After college, Crain put running on hold while pursuing a different professional career until deciding to train for and compete in the 1996 Olympic Trials.

Accident and rehab

On August 21, 2007, while on a training run for her fourth Olympic Marathon trials, Crain was hit by an automobile while crossing the intersection at Brady and Farwell streets in her hometown of Milwaukee.[5]

The accident fractured Crain's vertebrae, shattered her jaw, bruised her aorta, and caused massive brain damage. The traumatic brain injury resulted in a loss of spatial awareness, reading ability limitations, short-term memory impairment, difficulty walking, and balance problems. Crain’s treatment included acute hospital care at Froedert Hospital, specialized critical care for brain injury at Milwaukee’s Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Institute, and continual therapy for over 1.5 years at Mt. Carmel. As of 2009, Crain required assisted living in her condo, and was involved in daily therapy sessions.[5]

A number of initiatives were launched in response to Crain's accident:

  • Jenny Crain Make It Happen Benefit fund to help pay for ongoing medical expenses.[6]
  • The Milwaukee community has hosted a variety of benefits including auctions, Make It Happen wrist bands, races, the Make it Happen Mile, and set the Guinness World Record for "most people linked together to complete a marathon" with 62 roped-together runners, competing as Team Jennipede at Milwaukee’s 2011 Lakefront Marathon.[7]
  • "The Runner’s Cookbook, Winning Recipes from Some of the World’s Best Athletes." Half of the proceeds from the sale of this cookbook went to the Jenny Crain Make It Happen Fund.[8]
  • USA Track & Field started a Jenny Crain Mentoring Program which helps maximize opportunities and resources for developing athletes.[9]

Results

[10]

YearEventPlaceTime
2005Mt. Sac Relays 100003rd33:05
2005USA 10000 Championships7th33:07.43
2005USA 15 km Championships6th51:21 (PR)
2005USA 8 km Championships5th26:24
2004USA Olympic Trials - 1000010th33:19
2004USA 20 km Championships3rd1:10:58 (PR)
2004USA 10 km Championships5th33:28
2004USA Olympic Trials - Marathon11th2:37:36 (PR)
2004ING NYC Marathon15th2:41:06
2003USA Championships 10000m5th32:49
2003Pan American Games 100006th34:40.19
2003USA 10 km Championships3rd33:16
2003ING NYC Marathon16th2:38:49
2001Eugene Twilight Meet 5000m3rd15:36
2000USA Olympic Trials - 5000m14th15:49
2000USA Olympic Trials - 10000m10th32:42
2000USA Olympic Trials - Marathon14th2:42:12
1999Pan-Am Games Marathon7th2:54:19[11]
1999USA Outdoors 1000019th34:13:43
1998Columbus Marathon2nd2:40:31 (PR)
1998USA Outdoors 100005th34:33.59
1998Stanford Invitational 50001st16:01.45 (PR)
1998Mt SAC 100001st32:30.01 (PR)
1998Charlotte Observer Marathon1st2:45:26
1997IAAF World Half Marathon Championships53rd1:15.05 (PR)[12]
1997California International Marathon9th2:46:57
1997USA 10 Mile Champs8th56:52
1997USA 5K Road Champs12th
1997USA Outdoor 100009th33:59.03
1997USA Indoor 30007th9:25:08 (PR)
1996Chicago Marathon11th2:44:21
1996Drake Relays2nd34:11.26
1996Sea-Ray Relays2nd34:35.97
1996USA Olympic Marathon Trials84th2:52:47
1995Tucson Marathon1st2:50:01
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gollark: I was going to create one with a reward defined as making LyricLy extend the deadline until I could get it to work, but sure.

References
  1. "Jenny Crain".
  2. Brant, John (November 2009). "Close To Home". Runner's World: 82–91, 109, 113–115.
  3. Clemmons, Anna Katherine. "Jenny Crain". Runner's World.
  4. "USATF Athlete Biography Jenny Crain".
  5. Brant, John (November 2009). "Close To Home". Runner's World: 82–91, 109, 113–115.
  6. "Jenny Crain Make It Happen Benefit".
  7. "It's Official. Team Running for Jenny Crain secures Guinness Record in Lakefront Marathon". Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.
  8. "The Runner's Cookbook".
  9. "USATF announces The Jenny Crain Mentoring Program".
  10. "Results".
  11. "PanAm Full Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-28.
  12. "IAAF World Half Marathon Championships 1997: Women Athletes Biographies". Retrieved June 1, 2012.
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