Last month I had a chance to connect with a true warrior and cancer survivor Kristin McQueen.
If you listened to that interview last month with Kristin you may remember after doing IRONMAN Santa Rosa she told me she was also doing IRONMAN Wisconsin.
That’s two Ironmans within six weeks, a hard task for any able-athlete and especially for one battling brain cancer. This interview with Kristin was on the day before IRONMAN Wisconsin and just four days before her 15th brain surgery!
She did FINISH Wisconsin in just under 16 hours! I can’t put into words the profound effect Kristin has on you when you are in her presence.
It is like sitting with an angel who just wants to have a full life and is battling every day and every IRONMAN looking for it.
Her journey is not only hers but her family and friends who love her dearly.
Kristin you now have another friend – a friend that loves you!
Kristin wrote to me about her journey on race day.
Could you have finished experiencing a day like hers?
Kristin’s note to me after completing Ironman Wisconsin:
Mike,
I just wanted to thank you for making another Ironman such an incredible experience for
me. You were so kind to me in the interview and it was great chatting with you after. My race was by far the toughest Ironman I’ve ever done. I took a hard hit to the head early on in the swim, to the point where I was wondering if I had a concussion and might have to pull out.
I was also shivering that entire swim, so my swim was a disaster. The bike was tough because my head was hurting so bad and I had several moments where I was figuring out if I could safely continue. I’ve never been on a bike so long in my life!!
BUT…These little bird legs biked up every single hill without walking, including Barlow
when every other biker around me was walking. I was pretty happy about that. When I
came into T2, that’s the closest I’ve ever been to a cutoff and my legs were fried. I did
the math and knew that if I walked the whole marathon, I would likely be cutting it very
close to being a DNF so I told myself to suck it up and just start running for as long as I
could to create a cushion.
I was able to do that for about 18 miles (slowly, mind you!)
and then it was a run/walk. My legs felt pretty good but at about mile 20 on the lake path
where it’s super dark, I stepped in a divot, and twisted my knee so I had to walk the last
6.2 miles. My muscles were fine to keep run/walking but my knee joint couldn't do it. But
you gave me a hell of an announcement and I was still all smiles all day and still am
today!! So thank you for giving me another memorable weekend for me to have going
into surgery this week.
Mike’s note: You all will be happy to know Kristin’s 15th brain surgery just four days after she finished IRONMAN Wisconsin went well. She told me she had to stay in the hospital an extra day but didn’t elaborate as to why. She is in good spirits and now home recovering with family and friends. Knowing Kristin she is probably planning where her next Ironman will be!