Kami Semick

Athlete Interview:

Interview with Kami Semick

Bio:

Kami began competitive distance running on the cross-country team at the University of Alabama, a school she chose because she thought it would be culturally and climatically different from her Pacific Northwest upbringing, which it definitely was. After college, she moved to Atlanta where she worked during the week and did triathlons on the weekends. Eventually the West Coast called her back, much to Kami’s delight, and, while living in San Francisco, she tried her hand at mountaineering, first conquering the “small stuff” and then working her way to the heights of Denali, Alaska. However, the time and travel demands of the sport meant time spent away from her husband and child. After missing her daughter’s 2nd birthday because she was climbing Denali, she started searching for adventures that were challenging, but that would keep her closer to home. Enter ultra running. As Kami explains it, “With ultra running, I can take the family with me, have a mini adventure, and be back in time for dinner that night, or breakfast the next day.” Although relatively new to the sport, Kami is already making her mark. She is ranked fourth for 2005 Women Ultra Runners of the Year by UltraRunning magazine.

Favorite Destination:

New Zealand

Favorite Cook and Dish:

Sushi and red wine (preferably French).

Favorite Book:

Anything by Jon Krakauer or Ernest Hemingway.

Home:

Bend, Oregon, USA

Greatest Fear:

Doing something silly and sidelining myself for a while.

What I Get Out Of My Sport:

Ultra-running involves all physical and mental aspects. It tests the body to its fullest potential.

Career Highlights:

2006:

• Ranked 3rd overall for Women Ultra Runners of the Year by UltraRunning Magazine
• 11th place finish overall for Women's 100k World Cup, South Korea
• 50k National Trail Champion, Headlands 50k, new course record
• Second place overall finish 50 mile National Trail Championship, White River 50 mile

2005:

• Trail Runner magazine’s Trophy Series Overall Champion, women’s ultra category
• Montrail Ultracup 100K Series Champion
• Ranked 4th overall for 2005 Women Ultra Runners of the Year by UltraRunning magazine
• Ranked 5th for 2005 Performance of the Year by UltraRunning magazine (Helen Klein Classic 50-Mile)
• Helen Klein Classic 50-Mile, Granite Bay, California: 1st place women’s open, course record (6 hrs., 13 min.)
• Just Around the Bend Marathon, Bend, Oregon: 1st place women’s open, course record (2 hrs., 58 min.)
• Great Eastern 100K Endurance Run, Charlottesville, Virginia: 2nd place women’s (10 hrs., 25 min.)
• Where’s Waldo 100K, Willamette Pass, Oregon: 1st place women’s open, course record (12 hrs., 2 min.)
• White River 50-Mile, White River, Washington: USAFT 50-mile Trail Championship, 2nd place (7 hrs., 56 min.)
• Kettle Moraine 100K Endurance Run, LaGrange, Wisconsin: 1st place overall male and female, course record male and female (9 hrs., 45 min.)
• McDonald Forest 50K, Corvallis, Oregon: 1st place women’s open
• Miwok 100K Trail Run, Sausalito, California: 1st place women’s open (9 hrs., 30 min.)
• Peterson Ridge Rumble 60K Trail Run, Sisters, Oregon: 1st place women’s open, course record
• Haggs Lake 50K Trail Run, Oregon: 1st place women’s open, course record
• Angel Island New Years Day 50K Trail Run, San Francisco, California: 1st place women’s open, course record

2004:

• Seattle Marathon, Seattle, Washington: 1st place women’s open (2 hrs., 53 min.)