Olympic Runner Elle St Pierre Balances Family and Farming
- Olympic runner Elle St Pierre prioritizes family and dairy farming in Vermont.
- She made a decision to start a family and continue farming, away from her team in Boston.
- Balancing her passion for running with family and farming has been a challenging but fulfilling journey.
Elle St Pierre, a talented middle-distance runner from Montgomery, Vermont, has made headlines for her unique approach to balancing her athletic career and family life. Growing up on a dairy farm, St Pierre reached a compromise with her coach, Mark Coogan, allowing her to train in Boston while maintaining her roots in Vermont, where her husband Jamie's family operates a dairy farm. In a surprising move in 2022, she announced her pregnancy, stepping away from the conventional path of elite athletes at the peak of their careers. As she prepared for the 2024 Paris Olympics, St Pierre reflected on her journey, emphasizing the importance of family over athletic accolades. Just days before her Olympic debut, she expressed her excitement and readiness for the competition, stating that her son Ivan and family were her top priorities. In interviews, she discussed the support from fellow mothers in the running community and how motherhood has reshaped her identity beyond being just an athlete. On August 10, during the Olympic 1500m final, St Pierre aimed for a medal but ultimately did not achieve that goal. However, she expressed no regrets about her performance, highlighting the fulfillment she finds in pursuing her passion for running. Three days post-race, she returned to her Vermont farm, trading her Team USA uniform for work clothes, illustrating her commitment to both her sport and her family life.