Heather Hennessy facts for kids

Heather Hennessy was born in 1982. She is an American who used to work as a broadcaster for Fox Sports. She is also an author and a media personality. Heather was a national high school champion in the 800-meter race. She hoped to become an Olympic athlete, but a spine injury stopped her from competing.

Heather Hennessy's Sports Journey

High School Track Star

Heather Hennessy was a talented track athlete. She went to Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. Later, she attended Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos, California. In 2000, when she was 17, Heather was the fastest female 800-meter runner in America. She won the national championship with a record time of 2 minutes and 8.84 seconds. In another 800-meter race, she finished second with a time of 2 minutes and 7.73 seconds. She was just behind Neisha Bernard-Thomas, an exchange student from Grenada. Heather is the only girl from Los Gatos High School to win a national track championship. Because of her achievements, she was added to the Los Gatos Hall of Fame in 2014. She was also a top-ranked athlete at the Foot Locker Outdoor Championship in North Carolina in 2000.

Injury and Recovery

Heather earned a sports scholarship to the University of Southern California. In 2000, during a training trip with her high school cross country team in Lake Tahoe, Heather jumped off a 50-foot cliff into the water. This was a team tradition. However, the impact badly hurt her spine. She was taken to a hospital by helicopter. Doctors found that she had broken bones in her neck and back. Heather had to wear a body cast for four months. Even with her injury, the University of Southern California still honored her scholarship.

Running for a Cause

In 2014, Heather started running again. She completed the Los Angeles Half Marathon. ..... She supported an organization called Run for Hope. Through her run, she helped two shelters in Southern California.

Life After Sports

Broadcasting Career

Heather Hennessy worked as a reporter for Fox Sports. She appeared on national TV shows like Fox Major League Baseball, College BCS Ratings, and Final Score Extra. She interviewed many famous athletes, including baseball players Francisco Rodriguez and Chipper Jones.

Author and Media Personality

In 2011, Heather wrote a children's book called The Adventures of Dangles. She used her married name, Heather Hennessy-Howell, for the book. The story teaches kids about being kind and stopping bullying. Heather is also featured in a documentary called The Portal. This film, by Tom Cronin and Jacqui Fifer, explores how meditation can help change the world. The Portal was shown at the Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles in June 2019.

Family Life

In 2009, Heather married J.P. Howell. He is a professional baseball pitcher who played for teams like the Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays. Heather and J.P. met when they were freshmen at the University of Southern California. One off-season, they trained with Olympic skater Peggy Fleming. Heather had met Peggy when she was a teenager in Los Gatos. Together, Heather and J.P. started a non-profit group called Discover Your Path Foundation. This foundation helps kids.