ABOUT
Hello and welcome! My name is Sika Henry
I am a professional triathlete, corporate analyst, and lover of keeping my life active and fun. I started my athletic journey back in high school as a swimmer. As a collegiate high jumper / sprinter I became an NCAA All-American in Track and Field while earning my degree in Economics from Tufts University. Back then, I had no idea that long-distance running, cycling or swimming would become such a huge part of my life.
I signed up for my first local sprint triathlon back in 2013 and thoroughly enjoyed the process of training and getting myself ready for this new event. After this race, I had two important realizations:
1. I had a great time and that I would definitely want to participate in another triathlon and explore this community more
2. There were no other black people competing alongside me. Why?
It was then that I realized I had an important mission to fulfill - to create visibility for Black people in triathlons to push for diversity in the sport. This mission stuck with me throughout the years and was a large part of what brought me back to the sport after a gruesome bicycle crash in 2019 that left me hospitalized.
During the 2019 Ironman 70.3 Galveston race, in order to avoid swerving into another bike, I crashed into a barrier, leaving me with significant injuries. I thought I was done for good. During this time I received incredible support from those following my journey and realized my mission was important to them and that it mattered. I had to keep going.
Fast forward to 2021, I received my Pro Card and became the first U.S. Black female professional triathlete. It's been a whirlwind of activity but throughout everything, I knew this was something I needed to put my mind, body, and soul into.
My Jouney to PRO
From my very first triathlon in 2013 to pacing duties for a 100K American record attempt in January, I've shared it all. What started out as a way to simply chronicle my journey in a new sport turned into years of extraordinary experiences and surreal moments. I truly felt like I was writing chapters of my life in real-time, and I can't tell you how happy I am that I have all of these memories stored here! Even better than that, I'm grateful for all of the people I've met through this blog. Thank YOU for following along as I've shared the highest of the highs: breaking 3 hours in the marathon and crossing the finish line at the 2019 IRONMAN World Championships, to the lowest of the lows: a life altering bike crash and a global pandemic that erased a year of racing. I'm glad to be signing off on a positive note! But before I go, let me tell you how a dream, one goal, finally came true.