Corey Queen
his own fortress of solitude, where he hangs his
medals (as well as Superman shirts signed by his
children Ayana, Annabelle, Adrianna and Jorel),
and his routine of wearing his medal for a week
after each race as a symbol of accomplishment.
“You have to get out of your comfort zone,”
Queen said. “As you get older you find out how
strong you are, and that’s a confidence booster.”
Queen, who has bipolar disorder and suffers
from PTSD, found exercise therapeutic and
discovered that “taking the ego out to learn” can
be incredibly gratifying.
Queen started to see this more and more as
time went on and ran marathon after marathon,
working his way up to his standing 42-race count.
But, at the end of the day, they are just milestones,
he said. “Don’t get caught up in numbers. …
Remember why you’re doing it. I’ve never lost
sight of who I am; it’s part of me, not definitive.”
Emphasizing the importance of self is what
really emerged through Queen’s journey to health:
realizing you are worth something, and you owe
it to yourself to believe in yourself enough to
achieve these goals.
To Avengers: Infinity War
and Beyond
Despite a scare in September 2014 caused
by a stress-induced stroke, Queen’s health has
drastically improved since he became dedicated
to a healthier lifestyle and lost 80 pounds of fat.
With no true end in sight (although he
claimed he told friends he was slowing down)
Queen has five races on the docket, including
the Spartan trifecta, which he plans to make a
family “vacation.” These are only his short-term
goals. His long-term goal? Running the Louisville
Iron Man in five years, the year he will turn 50.
“I’m a terrible swimmer, so that will be a big
challenge,” Queen said. “I’ll be drinking a lot of
pool water the next couple years.”
In the meantime, Queen will continue as a
personal trainer for his business, while also
inspiring friends and family to try new fitness-
oriented activities, including friends trying the
Spartan Challenge, his wife running a mini-
marathon and his kids more and more interested
in exercise-based activities like volleyball and
cross country.
Queen coaches cross country and also finds
time to act as ambassador for the Urban Bourbon
Half Marathon.
Then again, what super hero doesn’t jump around
several different series and crossovers?
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