In this week’s Hometown MVP, we turn our focus to Westford, Massachusetts, where there is a pipeline of fantastic runners — and one mami in particular has been dominating cross country this fall.
But this time a year ago, the Westford Academy star wasn’t sure if that would ever happen.
Westford’s Abby Hennessy is the number one ranked runner in the state.
Coach Phil Achambault has seen the growth firsthand.
“I don’t think anybody imagines that they’re going to have someone that good, that they’re going to break records all over the place,” Archambault said.
The records, though, were almost never broken.
“I know that I wouldn’t be here running right today if it weren’t for the adversity I faced last year,” Hennessey said.
That adversity banger in the middle of her junior season.
“I was hospitalized for RED-S, which is relative energy deficiency in sport,” Hennessy said.
RED-S is a syndrome where an athlete’s body doesn’t get enough energy from food to handle their training, and her heart rate drastically dropped.
Hennessy was in the hospital for multiple weeks. Her season was over.
“It was super hard, especially because I have so much of my identity rooted in sport,” she said.
Hennessy saw doctors, dieticians, sports psychologists and has a strength coach. As she watched last year from the sideline, underdog Westford Academy won the state championship.
Her teammates called her an inspiration.
“Just having Abby be there like cheering just meant so much to us,” one said.
Her comeback started in the spring, and her return to cross country in the fall put everyone on notice. At the Twilight Invitational at Cape Cod in October, she set the course record.
“That was the meet that last year I was shut down two days before then and that was really really hard, to series that dream go,” she said. “And so, being able to be back on that course and see myself and see how much stronger I am and how far I’ve come is — it was a really full circle moment.”
Two Saturdays ago, she won the individual state title, the first of her young career. Hennessy’s career will continue in college — she’s committed to the University of Washington to run track and cross country.
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