Teen chases her dream, one quick step at a time
Anali Cisneros, a senior at Elgin High School, took to race walking as soon as she tried it around age 12. On Saturday, she’ll be racing with the U.S. national team in Rome. (Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com)
Race walker and Elgin High School senior Anali Cisneros works out on the track.She hopes to make the 2020 U.S. Olympic team. (Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com)
Anali Cisneros, a senior at Elgin High School, wants to make the 2020 U.S. Olympic team as a race walker and then head to medical school. (Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com)
Anali Cisneros plans to continue her race walking career this fall at Judson University in Elgin. She is an honors student at Elgin High School. (Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com)
Anali Cisneros, 18, is a member of the Elgin Sharks running team. She’ll be in Rome this weekend to compete in the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships. (Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com)
Anali Cisneros took first place in the 10K race walk at the USATF 2016 Junior Championships last month. (Courtesy of Ana Cisneros)
Anali Cisneros raced in 2014 at the U.S. vs Canada Junior Dual meet. (Courtesy of Diane Graham-Henry)
Anali Cisneros raced with Team USA at the 2015 Pan American Junior Championships in Edmonton, Canada. (Courtesy of Diane Graham-Henry)
For Anali Cisneros, race walking was ... love at first step, if one can say that.
The now 18-year-old from Elgin was in middle school and had been running with a local team for a couple of years. Frequently sidelined by recurring knee pain, her coach suggested she try race walking.
“From the first time, race walking was a more relaxed experience. It was something that came easily to me,” Anali said. “It was really fun to do it, and something really unique.”
Her natural talent, coupled with a positive attitude and eagerness to work hard, has propelled Anali to become the top female junior race walker in the country. On Saturday, she’ll be racing with the national team at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships in Rome.
“She’s like a coach’s dream, truly,” said Diane Graham-Henry, USA Track & Field race walk chairwoman for Illinois and race walking coach for Anali’s local team, the Elgin Sharks. “Because if you give her a workout, she says, ‘OK, I’ll do that.’ If you give her a (race) time to meet, she says, ‘OK, I’ll do that.’”
Anali has a shot at breaking the outdoor 10K U.S. record for a
