Every month we're going to feature one of our badass EDGE Athletes. This month we bring you Joon Park - who also happens to be our very first EDGE Member! And apparently he is a champion karaoke singer too (read on!)
How many years have you been racing?
5
How did you get started in running and triathlon?
I was a social runner but I really started serious training in 2011. Brian and Robyn peaked my interest when they started training for their first Ironman. In 2011, I took a year off of work to focus on family, health and to find balance in my life. I haven't looked back since ... Basically it's Brian and Robyn's fault...
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What was your first race?
JPM corporate challenge 5k in 2005. I remember training for a 5k! We all start somewhere.
What is your favorite race?
Ironman Melbourne
Least favorite workout?
Morning swims during Chicago winters
What's your favorite cheat meal?
Deep dish pizza / Italian beef
What's your proudest accomplishment?
Outside of my son Ethan, I think the ability to compete in long-distance endurance events while training 2-4 times a week. Although I wish I could train full-time, I'm blessed that I'm able to leverage my base training over the years to compete in races while balancing family and work commitments.
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Any Mantras?
"just one more hill"
What are you 2016 Goals?
Ironman South Africa, Chicago Marathon
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Your favorite activity at EDGE:
Drinking a Kong while booting
Your least favorite activity at EDGE:
The Ice Bath
The Best Part of being an EDGE Athlete:
The best part of being an EDGE athlete, outside of the state of the art facilities that make you a better athlete, is the EDGE community. Training is hard and some of our race goals can be daunting. Having a group of athletes to support you and challenge you to achieve those goals is what the Edge community is all about.
One thing that would surprise us about you:
I am the 1996 employee only Midwest region Benihana Karaoke champion