Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Fall 2018 | Page 19

Amy Cole
Flynn '92
is pictured
here with her
family aft er
she completed
her last
marathon in
Hawaii. From
L-R: daughter
Cora, Amy,
mother
Barbara
Kidder, and
daughter
Megan
A LU M N I S P O T L I G H T
Amy Cole Flynn '92 qualifies for the Boston Marathon 50 times
Amy Cole Flynn '92 did not have a
background in running when she
picked it up in her hometown of
Chelmsford, Massachusetts. She
signed up for a 5K race in Martha's
Vineyard and would run when
she had time, learning along the
way that she really enjoyed it. Her
enjoyment turned into a goal of
completing a marathon in every
state, her fi rst being the Boston
Marathon.
"Th e fi rst time I ran it, I ran as a
fundraising participant for Boston
Children's Hospital," Flynn recalls
of her fi rst Boston Marathon,
"My youngest daughter fell off of
the monkey bars and broke her
tibia, and received her care there.
I couldn't think of a better way
to give back to such a wonderful
institution."
Aft er running that fi rst Boston
Marathon in 2010, Flynn set the
bar higher; she adjusted her goal
to include running a marathon in
all 50 states as a Boston qualifi er
which, in her case, would be 3
hours and 45 minutes. It did not
strike her as being a "big deal"
until she competed in Fargo, North
Dakota and connected with a group
of elite male runners who told her
that this is an extraordinary goal for
a female runner.
While she runs, she has a playlist
on an iPod shuffl e, a model so old
that she can no longer update it.
She has made a choice not to run
with her phone or a watch to track
her splits.
"I have a playlist, but I don't even
know what is playing anymore as I
run," she said.
and for other trips, her daughters
and mother will accompany her
and learn about the culture of
their destination and try out local
cuisine.
“My daughters (Cora and Megan)
and my parents (Barbara and Jack
Kidder) are my biggest fans," Flynn
said. "It has been an incredible
journey for the girls as they have
traveled with me on several
occasions, choosing states on a map
that hangs in our home. Th is has
also given them the inspiration to
set and achieve their own goals."
In January 2018, Flynn completed
her fi nal marathon in Maui, Hawaii,
with her daughters and her mother
Her status as a runner has gained
recognition and she now tests shoes at the fi nish line to celebrate. In
completing her goal, Flynn joins
for New Balance while she trains,
though when she lines up for a race, a small, elite group of less than
5 female runners to have ever
she loyally wears a pair of Brooks.
accomplished this feat to date.
Flynn's goal has taken her
For those starting out with running
across the country and she has
Flynn shares, "Be confi dent in
participated in over 70 marathons,
currently averaging two marathons yourself and try to have fun with it.
It’s all worth it in the end."
per month. For some races, she
is only in the state for 24 hours
Story by Brittany Brown · Photo Courtesy of Amy Cole Flynn '92
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