“The greatest prep track athlete in Wisconsin history,” as said by Roisin Willis, high school coach. As a high schooler, she set a U.S. high school indoor 800m record (2:00.06) in 2022 and a U.S. under-18 outdoor 800m record (2:00.78) in 2021. She even qualified for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, reaching the semifinals, and also holds the state records in the 400 meters, 800 meters, and 1600 meters events.
In her freshman year only, the Wisconsin native had the tag of two times NCAA champion to her name in 2023. A year before that, she won the gold medal in the 800 meters at the 2022 World Under-20 Championships. Born to Lee and Breeda Dennehy-Willis, the 20-year-old was born on August 6, 2004 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin; the athlete had her parents supporting her throughout these achievements. Let’s know who Lee and Breeda really are, other than being parents of the two-time World U20 champion.
Who is Roisin Willis’ father?
Lee Willis, Roisin’s father, is a Ph.D. in Philosophy in American History from Florida University and currently is enrolled with the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) in 2007. As good as a runner his daughter his, the man himself is quite something when it comes to teaching, being honored with the University Teaching Award, UWSP for the 2010-11 year and also with the UW System Fellow UW Institute for Research in the Humanities (2011-2012).
He also had a research paper published with the University of Georgia Press in 2011, titled, “Southern Prohibition: Race, Reform, and Public Life in Middle Florida.” His area and scope of interests for research span across various topics like drugs and alcohol in American history, race and ethnicity, and reform movements as well. Being the dad of an athlete also plays a role in Lee’s professional life.
Roisin has been vocal about her depression issues, and Lee, being her dad, most probably knows how hard it must have been for her daughter to fight; that is why he acts as the liaison between the athletics department and faculty at UWSP, ensuring academic integrity and student-athlete welfare. Other than this he has also been a member of the American Historical Association, Florida Historical Society, Journal of Southern Religion, Board of directors (2004-present) and Society of Historians of the Early American Republic.
Who is Roisin Willis’ Mother?
Most probably it’s Roisin’s mother’s genes that got the better of the daughter, because Breda Dennehy-Willis was herself a long-distance runner. Now don’t mistake her for any long-distance runner, the woman had a very dominant position in her country’s list of all-time best female long-distance runners, competing in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney in the 5000m event. Her speed? Well, lets just say she is fast!
She’s fifth fastest on her country’s all-time lists for both the 5000m and 10,000m with respective times of 15:12.83 and 32:11.30 achieved that same year of 2000. In 1982, she became a member of Bandon AC and, as of 2025, she remains the only Olympian ever to have been a member of the club, and now coaches her daughter.
“Just go out there and have fun.” This one advice from her mother has helped Roisin not only in the race she gave it for but also for other races as well, I mean when you try to just enjoy the run rather than submerging into the pressure to win, the track becomes a lot clearer to run on. Breda has been a pioneer in he daughter’s middle-distance runner career, providing her with technical training, endurance coaching.
What is Roisin Willis’ Parents’ nationality?
While Lee Willis is American, Dennehy-Willis is not. The long-distance runner did not run for America. The Olympian was born on February 2, 1970 in Ireland; she contested the Olympics for Ireland and she is one of Ireland’s best long-distance runners. She came to America when she got a scholarship to Western Kentucky University.
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