Cancer Survivor’s Eyes Set on Ironman World Championship

34-year-old Kristin McQueen may be recovering from brain surgery, but cancer treatments on the last thing on her mind – She has reached the finals in the Ironman Foundation’s “Kona Inspired – Anything Is Possible” contest.

McQueen, who has fought thyroid cancer for a decade, recently underwent her 10^th brain surgery, her 15^th surgery overall. Treatment side effects have ranged from facial nerve damage, vertigo, and partial airway use from vocal cord paralysis.

McQueen’s coping mechanism is racing. Since diagnosis, she has completed 9 Ironmans, 17 marathons, and countless other races, all while fundraising for the American Cancer Society – raising over $122,000.

Says McQueen: “My main purpose is to raise money so that nobody else has to go through what I have. Along with that, I want to show people that you can’t just give up when life beats you up a little… I know that things can be taken away in an instant. Training is a blessing and racing is my expression of gratitude for life.”

McQueen’s dream? To tackle the Ironman World Championship. Only available to athletes who qualify, the Ironman Foundation introduced a contest, entitled “Kona Inspired – Anything Is Possible,” to allow a handful of committed athletes join the field.

To participate, each contestant provided a 90-second video explaining why he/she embodies the Ironman Mantra “Anything Is Possible. Now, Kristin has reached the finals. She has from June 5^th-15^th to get her video to the top two of 15, based entirely upon public votes. Since you can vote daily, one McQueen supporter has even designed a calendar reminder for download. McQueen’s video is posted at here.

You can help by VOTING daily June 5 – 15th and SHARING Kristin’s story with your friends!

– Tracy Jensen