Fankhouser-Heck shines with record-breaking achievements, credits parents

By Tamara Haddad Redstone Review

LYONS – Katie Fankhouser-Heck, a remarkable talent in many ways, emerges from the picturesque enclave of Lyons, where her drive has unfolded on a grand scale. Nurtured within this close-knit community, she embodies the indomitable spirit and resilience that epitomize her upbringing by her parents, Joycelen and Steve Fankhouser. Heck’s accomplishments read like a checked-off grocery list: NCAA DII National Runner-Up, 1500m.; First Team All-American, 1500m.; RMAC Champion, 1500m.; First Team All-Conference, 1500m.; RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll; CSC Academic All-District.

That’s just the last couple of years at Fort Lewis College, Durango, in Track and Field. Before that, Heck earned accolades in cross-country and freestyle whitewater kayaking, a pursuit she describes as “gymnastics in a kayak.” Heck placed fourth in San Juan, Argentina, at the 2017 Freestyle Kayak World Championships, Team USA; third at the 2018 and 2019 GoPro Mountain Games: Pro Women’s Freestyle; was the Jr. Women’s Freestyle Kayak National Champion; and was the Jr. Women’s bronze medalist in Sort, Spain, at the 2019 Freestyle Kayak World Championships.

Heck’s accomplishments are nothing short of extraordinary. Yet beneath every soaring athlete lies an unwaver- ing foundation of support, and for Heck, that formidable driving force is none other than her devoted parents, Joycelyn and Steve Fankhouser. Their role in her life is undeniable, a testament to the significance of a positive parent-child relationship. Heck opened up about her early

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• childhood and attributes her success and balanced mental health to both parents.

“My mom and dad love skiing with one another. When I was two years old, my dad slapped wood planks on my shoes and had me move around the house. By the time I made it to the slopes, I didn’t have the fear that could have held me back,” said Heck.

The Fankhousers’ parenting started with inclusion. “If we could do it apart, we could do it better together,” said Heck. This ideology surpassed their intention but is a mark on what can go right when raising a daughter. Heck said, “I chose Fort Lewis College intending to help to build the Team program. It’s exciting to have individual accomplishments like achieving All-American individually, but I think if I can make it to Nationals as a team in fall 2023, that whole career – that would be the goal that I’ve set from day one.”

Family outings and physical exercise have always been a part of the Fankhousers’ everyday lives. Joycelyn recognized early on that her role as Katie’s mother was to nurture her spirit and champion her endeavors in sports and academics but also to drive home the importance of lifting up the community you are in.

“I listened more than I talked,” said Joycelyn. “I observed Katie and stayed present in her life. We grew together.” Joycelyn, in her own right, has been bridging

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