Coree Woltering

TEAM COMPETE MVP COREE WOLTERING BY CONNIE WARDMAN

First and Last Name: Coree Woltering.

Age: 30.

Hometown: Ottawa, Illinois.

Your Day Job: Running Coach & Athlete at The North Face.

Current Sport(s): Trail/Ultrarunning and Adventure Racing.

Relationship Status: Married.

Favorite Athlete: Chrissie Wellington.

Favorite Team: Chicago Cubs.

Interests/Hobbies: Reading, traveling post-race, local food, the quest to find the perfect Bloody Mary.

Why Do You Love Sports?: I have always been a competitive person. Sports have always been part of my life and a great outlet for my competitiveness. I love pushing boundaries and seeing how hard I can push my body.

Greatest Athletic Achievements: Setting the Fastest Known Time on the 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin.

What is it that led you to get involved with “WORLD’S TOUGHEST RACE: ECO-CHALLENGE

FIJI”? I was approached to race Eco-Challenge Fiji with an Instagram request from Clifton Lyles. He wanted to put together the first all-African American team to race and he found us all through Instagram. One of our main goals was to show that POC (People of Color) and the LGBTQ+ community also enjoy adventure sports.

What’s your personal story? I grew up in a smaller midwestern town and played sports all through grade school and high school (soccer, cross country, swimming, track and field, and cheerleading). I ran track and field and cross country in college, before getting into triathlon. Post-college, I moved to Boulder, Colorado hoping to become a professional triathlete. I had qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships twice, but ended up quitting triathlon for trail running. I didn’t realize trail running would end up having such an impact on my life. I found a supportive group of friends through trail running, and that gave me the confidence to finally come out. When I did, nobody was really that shocked. It also opened up other friendships through the LBGTQ+ group Frontrunners & Frontwalkers. And in 2022, Hong Kong is hosting the Gay Games ... including trail running for the first time. Woohoo!

If given the chance, what would you tell/teach

your younger self? I would tell my younger self that it’s OK to come out. I waited until I was 25, almost 26, to come out ... and I was already engaged. Once I came out, it actually felt like a weight had been lifted and I ran a great marathon that next weekend.

What are your future goals? In terms of athletic goals, a podium at Western States 100 Mile and UTMB.

What are your thoughts about the LGBTQ+

community’s inclusion in sports diversity? I think that the LGBTQ+ community has made progress but there is still plenty more to go. I believe we need to have open, honest conversations about trans athletes competing and stand with them.

I would tell my younger self that it’s OK to come out. I waited until I was 25, almost 26, to come out ... and I was already engaged. Once I came out, it actually felt like a weight had been lifted and I ran a great marathon that next weekend.