Monique Henderson facts for kids
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| Full name | Monique Marie Henderson | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 18, 1983 (age 42) San Diego, California, U.S. |
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Monique Marie Henderson was born on February 18, 1983, in San Diego, California. She is an American track and field athlete. Monique is best known for running the 400-meter dash. She won two gold medals at the Olympic Games. She was part of the American 4×400-meter relay team. These wins happened at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
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Early Running Days
Monique started running when she was very young. She was incredibly fast! When she was 9 or 10 years old, she set an American record. This record was for girls in her age group in the 400 meters. It still stands today, showing how talented she was from the start.
High School Achievements
Monique went to Samuel F. B. Morse High School in San Diego. She graduated in 2001. During her high school years, she made history. She is the only person to win the 400 meters California State Championship four times. She won every year from 1998 to 2001.
In 1999, when she was just 16, she won a big race. She took first place in the 400m at the World Youth Championship. This event was held in Bydgoszcz, Poland. At 17, she set a new national high school record for the 400m. Her time was 50.74 seconds. This record has since been broken. In 2000, while still in high school, she was chosen for the US Olympic track and field team. She was an alternate for the 4 × 400m relay team. That year, Track and Field News named her the best high school girl athlete in the country.
College Career at UCLA
After high school, Monique received a scholarship. She went to UCLA in 2001. In 2002, while at UCLA, she won another important race. She placed first in the 400m at the World Junior Championship. This competition took place in Kingston, Jamaica.
During her time at UCLA, she became a five-time Pac-10 champion. The Pac-10 is a group of college sports teams. In 2004, she finished second at the NCAA championships in the 400m. The next year, in 2005, she became the NCAA outdoor champion in the 400m. She even set a new NCAA record with a time of 50.10 seconds. In 2005, she also won the Honda Sports Award. This award goes to the best female college track and field athlete in the nation.
Life After Running
Monique Henderson continued her education after her athletic career. She earned a master's degree in kinesiology. Kinesiology is the study of how the body moves. She used to work as a professor. She taught in the exercise science department at San Diego Mesa College. In the summer of 2015, she became the head coach at Golden West College.
Honors and Recognition
Monique Henderson has been recognized for her amazing career. In 2009, she was nominated and inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame. This honor was given by several organizations. These included the Women's Museum of California and the Commission on the Status of Women. Also involved were the University of California, San Diego Women's Center and San Diego State University Women's Studies.
See also
In Spanish: Monique Henderson para niños
