Conner Benson

I began running at the age of 13, and I was the slowest runner on the team to start. I didn't seem to have any special talent, and, to make things worse, I suffered from exercise-induced asthma that often forced me to stop running to use my rescue inhaler. Things turned around for me my junior year of high school when my asthma, either due to the treatments or due to my growth, became much more manageable. I made varsity that year and improved my 5k time by over 2 minutes. My senior year, I was made team captain and finally felt recognized for my tenacity over the years. All those days running through frustration, continuing to train regardless, made me into the runner I was supposed to be in the end. This taught me a lot about mental endurance as well. In college, I improved more and won several individual and team conference championships and also had the privilege to study how running works in the first place, majoring in exercise science. After graduating, I've found my way to becoming an exercise physiologist for first responders, for whom I conduct VO2max tests and interpretations. Qualifications: *Master's Degree in Exercise Science *Day Job: Exercise Physiologist & VO2max Technician *Competitive runner for over 15 years (PRs: 15:29 5k, 4:29 mile) Certifications: *V.O2 *NSCA-Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach (CSCS certification) *NASM-Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist (biomechanics, injury prevention)