Bio
Karen Smyers has arguably had the most successful career of any female professional in the sport's history. She won the ITU World Championship twice (Olympic distance), the U.S. Pro Nationals 7 times, and the ITU Long Distance World Championship (twice). In 1995 she was so dominant that she took first at the Hawaii Ironman, the Pan Am Games, the ITU World Championships, and the U.S. Pro Nationals.
This powerhouse of a woman has had a few bumps along the way, though, to say the least. In 1997 she had an accident that sliced her hamstring severely. During rehabilitation, she decided to have a baby but had to have a Caesarean section after 48 hours of labor. After finally being back in training for the Ironman in 1998, she was hit by an eighteen-wheel semi while on her bike. Smyers broke six ribs and separated her shoulder.
In 1999, her comeback was coming along well as she raced herself back onto the podium at the World Cup in Cancun. Then, only a month before the Hawaii Ironman, during a routine ultrasound check to investigate a swollen thyroid, multiple nodules were discovered and she was told that it was most likely cancer. She raced anyway and placed second! A couple of weeks later at her last event of the season, an ITU points race in Mexico, she was involved in a fluke pile-up on the bike portion and broke her collar bone, DNF-ing for the very first time in her 16-year career.
Karen was diagnosed with cancer, undergoing a thyroidectomy, a subsequent neck dissection, and then radioactive iodine treatment. Despite these setbacks, she came back the following year to win the pro nationals for the 7th time and place fifth in Hawaii at the age of 40.
One of the most amazing things about her story is that through all of these many ordeals, she continued to be so positive. Often considered the friendliest of the pros, Karen is well known for her accessibility to the age-groupers, her easy-going attitude, and perpetual good nature.