Unyielding Spirit: Rose Harvey Overcome Adversity at the Paris 2024 Marathon
Rose Harvey, 31, is one of the standout figures at the Paris 2024 Olympics after completing the women’s marathon despite a severe injury. Even with a broken left femur, Harvey took to the track and finished the race in 78th place out of 80 competitors. She completed the 42.195 km distance in 2 hours, 51 minutes, and 3 seconds, finishing more than 28 minutes behind the gold medalist, Sifan Hassan.
Before the race began, Harvey shared on Instagram on August 14 that she had been experiencing hip pain in the weeks leading up to the marathon. Despite the efforts of her support team to help her recover and prepare as best as possible, Harvey did not anticipate that her pain would become so severe that she would face what felt like a “painful battle” throughout the race. She had to push through the course with a fractured femur, navigating steep declines that felt like “hell.”
Although she did not achieve the high results she had hoped for, Harvey was still pleased with her effort. She explained that her primary goal was to complete the marathon at the Olympics, and even though most goals were not met, a small part of her Olympic dream remained to strive for. Harvey emphasized the importance of smiling and immersing herself in the positive energy from the crowd, which helped her maintain motivation and finish the race.
Prior to competing in Paris, Harvey had focused solely on her running career after losing her job at a law firm in the music industry. She was discovered by coach Phil Kissi while training at Battersea Park in London in 2020 and has since made significant progress. Her best performance came at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, where she finished in 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 21 seconds, just 26 seconds behind Sifan Hassan’s Olympic record.
Alongside Harvey, the women’s marathon in Paris 2024 also showcased the extraordinary perseverance of Kinzang Lhamo from Bhutan. At 26, Lhamo completed the race in 3 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds, despite the challenging course with many inclines. Lhamo, who was the flag bearer for Bhutan at the opening ceremony and the only female athlete from her country, had to walk during parts of the race but was encouraged by spectators and cyclists who joined her in the final kilometers. She was the last athlete to finish the 42.195 km distance, trailing the champion Sifan Hassan by over an hour and a half.
Lhamo began running after joining the Bhutanese army and has achieved notable results, including winning the Bhutan Marathon 2023 and finishing second at the Snowman Race 2022. She shared that her dream has always been to compete on such grand stages as the Olympics, and although she couldn’t improve her personal best in Paris, her determination and spirit inspired fans worldwide. Many likened Lhamo’s fighting spirit to that of John Stephen Akhwari, the Tanzanian athlete who, despite injury, hobbled to the finish line at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, underscoring the theme of never giving up despite challenges.
