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...
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.
Any Mantras?
"just one more hill"
What are you 2016 Goals?
Ironman South Africa, Chicago Marathon
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