Mile #29-Coach Karen Buxton - 5:40 Finish at 70.3 Ohio and World’s Qualifier- Breast Cancer survivor and 3 years S/P Total Hip Replacement

She is a USAT Level III Triathlon Coach www.coachbuxton.com.  She is the race director for 2 events locally that benefit Team Tri for Hospice which she founded in honor of her brother.  To make a donation or for more details on this 501(c)(3) please visit www.triforhospice.com.  We discuss how she has navigated life as she has aged and how she is in uncharted waters as she works to return sport activity after her recent total hip replacement.   She provides great insight on how through the use of cross training and adequate recovery she works to minimize risk of injury to  herself and the athletes she coaches.    I hope you enjoy.

 

 

Her Bio:

 

I have been a professional coach for over 30 years and have specialized in working with endurance athletes for the past twenty. I have a B.S. in Allied Health Sciences from Johnson State College (now Northern Vermont University) and a M.Ed. in Athletic Administration from Temple University and hold coaching certifications of Level-III and Youth and Junior from USA Triathlon. I have also served as the Secretary-General of USA Triathlon's Board of Directors, Co- Chair for USAT’s Age Group Commission, board member of USAT's Mid- Atlantic Region and as a member of USAT’s Duathlon Commission.

 

I have presented for USAT’s Coaching Certification Program and authored 3 successful “Women’s Triathlon Emerging Sport” grants for 2 Division II and 1 Division III Universities; authored The Triathlete’s Guide to Off-Season Training; written articles for Active.com and Triathlete Magazine; and founded Team Tri for Hospice (www.triforhospice.com), a 501(c)(3) that raises awareness and funds for non-profit hospices.

 

Taking up triathlon 29 years ago, I have worked my way from a mid-packer in sprint distance races to representing the United States on ten world teams (four in triathlon and six in duathlon). Highlights of my extensive racing career include: a member of two four-person teams (all women & coed) that finished the 2002 & 2016 Race Across America (RAAM), fifteen iron-distance races including the 2004 & 2014 Hawaii Ironman World Championships, the 2017 70.3 World Championships, a 5th place overall finish in the 2000 U.S. Long Course Championships, 1st place age group finish at the 2007 Long Course Duathlon Championships, an age group silver medal at the 2007 Long Course World Duathlon Championships, and a second place age group finish at the 2010 USAT Sprint Triathlon National Championships.

 

I am a seven-time USA Triathlon All-American (2001, 2003, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019), four-time Ironman All World Silver Athlete (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) and have been inducted into my high school and college Athletic Hall of Fame.