WESTFORD — WestfordCAT spoke with Westford Academy senior Abigail Hennessy, who is ranked No. 1 in the state in girls cross country, last week.
Last fall, Hennessy’s career was temporarily put on hold when she was hospitalized with Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, or RED-S, a condition that forced her to step away from competition. After months of recovery and support, she returned this fall stronger than ever, setting a course record and winning her first individual state title.
“She does a really great job of understanding what the next step should be and then asking what she needs to do to get there,” Westford Academy girls cross country coach Philip Archambault said. “She’s been a great proponent of making sure everyone is doing the right thing and talking to the girls about what can be done, without being pushy.”
Archambault said Hennessy is an exceptional leader who connects well with both the team as a whole and individual athletes.
“She has a very good sense of when she can push forward with someone and when she needs to hold back,” Archambault said. “She’s very aware of how other kids are feeling.”
Archambault also credited much of Hennessy’s success to her mindset.
“When it really matters, she’s able to block out everything else and focus on the plan for that workout or race,” Archambault said. “That balance, knowing when to lock in and when to relax, is the biggest key. The best athletes know how to dig deep when it matters and still have fun when it doesn’t.”
WestfordCAT interviewed with Hennessy to discuss her training, races this season, recovery process and what first drew her to running.
Q&A with Abigail Hennessy
What first drew you to running?
Hennessy: “In elementary school and middle school, I used to do every sport under the sun, and I had a health teacher, Mrs. Hanly, at Stony Brook, who convinced me to do Girls on the Run, along with cross country. She was just such a positive role model and coach. I really loved running with the middle school cross country and track teams, and coming into high school, I never looked back.”
Can you tell me about the moment when you found out you ranked No. 1 in the state for girls cross-country?
Hennessy: “I guess I try not to focus on it too much because some people might be looking too much into some races that had really good conditions, and if I’m running in a crappy race that’s freezing cold or something, that might mess things up.”
Can you talk about what returning to cross country looked like this year after being diagnosed with RED-S last year?
Hennessy: “I’d say to get to compete with my teammates and just have fun with the sport because after all, it’s just high school. You can be more serious about it in college, just putting together strong and steady training throughout the whole season, and getting to enjoy every meet with my teammates was really special.”
Can you walk me through what recovery looked like for you?
Hennessy: “I think it was really hard because for me, and I know many other athletes, you have so much of your identity rooted in your sport so that when you can’t do it it feels like everything is being taken away. I’d say that trying to stay focused on other aspects of my life helped me a lot when the process was really slow when it felt like I wasn’t making any improvements… I got a new private coach last winter, and she’s just been so amazing with my mindset and my coaching. She’s taken different steps with my training, that I would not be where I am without. My coaches at school, too, knowing that I have that support system to lean back on.”
How do you balance training, school, and your social life?
Hennessy: “I think training is a great opportunity to have a social outlet for me. I’d say I’m pretty introverted, but I get to go to practice and have like two hours with my friends, and that’s really nice… And just trying to stay in the moment. When I’m doing my homework, trying not to think about what training is going to be for tomorrow, during practice, not worrying about my school work because it’s a good break, and I think that really helps me stay sane during the school day too.”
What is your best 5K time and your best mile time?
Hennessy: “My best 5K time is 16:43, and my mile time is 4:34.”
What do you think about during a race?
Hennessy: “I think just staying grounded and knowing that your training has brought you where you are. My coach will always say ‘all the hay is in the barn,’ like knowing that you’ve already put in all the work, and this is just for fun, and also just getting to show your competitive side, obviously racing against amazing girls that also like to push themselves to their limits and really getting to see how far you can go.”
What support from your team and coaches looked like?
Hennessy: “They’ve been here since day one, obviously, my coaches have always believed in me way before I would believe in myself, and they’ve always set goals that I always thought were 10 times too big or something. It always comes to my surprise when I reach those goals or something, and I think they’re really helpful in that sense, they can dream big when I’m scared to. They’re just really helpful to empower me and to boost my confidence.”
What advice would you give younger runners at WA who are looking up to you?
Hennessy: “Just have fun with it and stay consistent. Everyone says stay consistent, stay focused and stuff, but in the end it’s also high school and you can’t take yourself too seriously. It’s an amazing time to have fun with your teammates and push yourself and to really find your own work ethic, and I think that’s something really valuable and can teach you a lot of life lessons that can be applied to you as a person.”
