Running Against The Odds: An Inspirational Journey to Making High School Sports History

Life took Desmond “Coach Dez” Dunham down an unpaved path toward both manhood and coaching, testing his spirit, humility, and purpose. Now a nationally recognized high school coach, Running Against The Odds chronicles Dunham’s journey to finding his passion within youth sports, culminating at the 2007 Penn Relays — one of the most defining moments of his illustrious running career.

In this impassioned coming-of-age memoir, Dunham recounts his turbulent childhood, filled with challenges in economically-distressed Gary, Indiana. Despite constant rejection and disappointment from a distant, alcoholic father, Dunham persevered, attended Howard University, and found his passion on the track with key support along the way.

From humble beginnings with the odds stacked against him, Dunham’s story shows that underdogs prevail.

Desmond "Coach Dez" Dunham is a youth sports expert with over two decades of coaching and teaching experience in Washington, DC. With an award-winning career in high school cross-country and track and field, Coach Dez boasts many All-American, national, and international titles.

Dunham is an Under Armour running coach and ambassador, the Founder of Kids Elite Sports, and a DC public school teacher. At the core of his coaching philosophy, he believes that all kids deserve opportunities to excel. He is passionate about helping athletes develop to reach their optimal performance on and off the track. He holds a bachelor's degree from Howard University and a master's degree from Trinity University.