2012 Olympic Trials On the Horizon for Inver Grove Heights Native

Inver Grove Heights native Heather Kampf has been an assistant cross country coach at for two seasons, and a distance track coach for one.

But the 24-year-old’s running endeavors extend far beyond the Twin Cities, and even beyond the borders of the United States.

Most recently, Kampf placed sixth in the women’s 800-meter run at the Pan American Games, held in late October in Guadalajara, Mexico. The games showcase athletes from countries in the Americas competing in summer sports.

Though Kampf said she’s “not exactly proud” of her performance there—her personal best is 2:00.41 and in Guadalajara she ran a 2:07.11—she gained many experiences from the opportunity.

It “really gave me a taste of what it’s like to have international fans there ready to watch a great competition,” she said.

While Kampf didn’t meet the other women’s 800-meter runner from the U.S. until they arrived at the all-inclusive athlete village in Guadalajara—similar to the villages at the Olympics—once in Mexico she had lots of free time to meet and get to know other athletes, and catch up with those she already knew, she said.

"It’s kind of fun to reunite with other athletes you might not see," she said.

Officials didn’t allow the athletes to leave the village except for competition, she said, but the village itself was “really cool,” with meals, any medical services needed and even massage therapy. Each country’s athletes had a block of apartments, she said.

The games have a lot of history, Kampf said.

“It just makes me really inspired to move forward,” she said.

From Gymnast to Runner

Kampf spent her childhood until high school as a gymnast, before her coach suggested running.

Clearly, the choice worked out.

She ran cross country and track at the University of Minnesota, where she was an eight-time All American and was the University’s female athlete of the year in 2008. Her most vivid running memory comes from her time at the U of M, she said, when during an indoor 600-meter race she fell but was able to get back up and catch the pack to win that heat.

“It’s on YouTube now,” she said. It’s “one thing people know me for.”

After college, Kampf became a member of the Team USA Minnesota elite distance training program, and has since competed in races around the U.S. and in Europe.

Her times from the last U.S.A. Track and Field championships were used to select Kampf to compete in the Pan Am Games, different than the trial races used to build Olympic teams. She was surprised to be selected, she said.

But in Guadalajara, U.S. track and field personnel commented about how the Pan Am Games were a lot like the Olympics, Kampf said.

“It’s kind of a prep thing for hopefully making an Olympic team,” she said.

And that’s the next goal.

Kampf said next summer she’ll compete in the trials for the 2012 summer Olympic Games in London, which start at the end of July.

She’ll likely try for the 800 meters, but has had “good breakthroughs” in the 1,500 meters this year, she said, so that race also could be an option.

Kampf said women who keep training and remain in good health usually can sustain a competitive running career roughly through their mid-30s.

“I expect to have some of my best years in running the next four to six years,” she said. And behind her efforts will be the support of her husband, Ben, who is also a runner, and her parents.

After her days of traveling the world for competitive running, Kampf—who studied kinesiology and psychology in college and graduated with a 3.9 grade-point average—hopes to go to physical therapy school.

But more immediately she’ll continue to coach, an opportunity that actually came to her when she wasn’t looking. Apple Valley High School was looking for an assistant coach and went to Team USA Minnesota to find one, Kampf said.

“I think the girls really love that I’m still involved in the sport,” she said.

While Kampf runs at a more competitive level than high school, she said there can be similarities at the different levels.

Sometimes the high school girls share things that help Kampf, and she can in turn share her experience with them, she said.

“It’s reciprocal,” Kampf said.