Shalane Flanagan, Irish-American distance runner, won the bronze medal in the women’s 10,000 meter run at the 2008 Olympics.

She holds the American record times in the 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000 meter distances.

The Colorado-born and Massachusetts-raised athlete excelled in cross country throughout her high school career.

She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she secured two NCAA cross country titles in 2002 and 2003.

Flanagan, the daughter of two accomplished runners, shattered her own American record for the 10,000 meter race when she won the bronze medal in Beijing.

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