6 ▁and ▁placed ▁ 2 1 st ▁and ▁ 1 6 th , ▁respectively . ▁ ▁Career ▁Born ▁in ▁Az ur ém , ▁Gu imar ã es ▁Municip ality , ▁F éli x ▁began ▁her ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁junior ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁I A AF ▁World ▁Cross ▁Country ▁Championships , ▁although ▁she ▁did ▁not ▁break ▁the ▁top ▁ 6 0 ▁run ners ▁on ▁either ▁occasion . ▁She ▁finished ▁ 3 1 st ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁European ▁Cross ▁Country ▁Championships . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁dis heart ened ▁by ▁her ▁performances ▁at ▁international ▁level ▁and ▁doubt ed ▁whether ▁she ▁could ▁be ▁a ▁runner ▁of ▁a ▁professional ▁standard . ▁She ▁began ▁working ▁in ▁a ▁low - pa id ▁job ▁at ▁a ▁clothes ▁factory ▁but ▁still ▁trained ▁despite ▁the ▁long ▁hours ▁and ▁t iring ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁work . ▁Another ▁Portuguese ▁runner , ▁Jess ica ▁August o , ▁ur ged ▁her ▁quit ▁the ▁job ▁and ▁to ▁focus ▁full - time ▁on ▁her ▁running . ▁She ▁followed ▁the ▁advice ▁and ▁had ▁some ▁success ▁on ▁the ▁national ▁stage ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁winning ▁the ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁metres ▁Portuguese ▁title . ▁F éli x ▁began ▁to ▁establish ▁herself ▁on ▁the ▁international ▁athlet ics ▁scene ▁the ▁following ▁year : ▁she ▁finished ▁ 7 2 nd ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁I A AF ▁World ▁Cross ▁Country ▁Championships , ▁but ▁had ▁a ▁much ▁better ▁out ing ▁at ▁the