Amy P-W'10

Amy Palmiero-Winters, 37, Hicksville, NY. An ultrarunner for less than a year, and the first amputee ever to be named to a USA national team, Palmiero Winters in 2009 won the "Race to the Future" on New Year's Eve, beating all able-bodied male and female finishers. Covering 130.04 miles in the 24-hour race, her performance qualified her for this national team. Palmiero-Winters also won the women's division at her first ultra, the Heartland 100 Mile in October, earning USATF Athlete of the Week honors. She is a single mother of two who works as a youth fitness director, coach and motivational speaker. After a 1997 motorcycle accident and 27 surgeries, Palmiero Winters had her left leg amputated below the knee. She has subsequently become a single-leg below-the-knee amputee world record holder in over a dozen events (including the marathon and the Ironman distance triathlon). Most recently, she was selected as the AAU Sullivan Award winner as the outstanding American amateur athlete for 2009.