The Anniversary Special with Camden Khon, Season 3

It’s the second anniversary of The Blue Water Running Podcast! It has been an incredible privilege to get to know local athletes and hear many amazing and inspiring stories from the Blue Water Area and beyond.  As we move into our third year, the top two episodes of all time so far are Season One, Episode #15 with Matt Armelagos of Michigan XC Speed Ratings, and Season One, Episode #14 with Thomas Westphal, former Anchor Bay High School and current MSU runner. 

The very first episode of the podcast aired two years ago on March 28, 2024, and featured 2023 Armada graduate Camden Khon (who happens to be my oldest child).  Camden runs cross country, indoor, and outdoor track for Spring Arbor University, where he recently earned indoor NAIA All-American status by taking third in the mile in 4:04 (in a race separated by tenths of a second) and eighth in the Distance Medley Relay.  He also garnered his first cross-country All-American award with a top-30 finish at the national meet in November and set the course record earlier that month by winning the Crossroads Conference cross-country championship. Camden is the first athlete from Spring Arbor to be named the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week for cross country, and earned the honor again during the indoor track season for his win at the Notre Dame Meyo Invitational open mile, where he ran a 4:03.9, the #12 all-time finish in the NAIA. He is back on the pod to reflect on his national meet experience, how he has dealt with his emotions regarding his race, and his continuing quest for the sub-4-minute mile.  

While many people know Cam as a runner, they may not know that he competes while living with an autoimmune disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis.  Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis primarily affecting the spine and pelvic joints, causing severe back pain, stiffness, and potential spinal fusion ("bamboo spine") along with other symptoms. It usually strikes teens and young adults, with symptoms often worse at night/rest and improved with movement. While no cure exists, treatment includes exercises, physical therapy, and medication. Males are three times as likely as females to be diagnosed.  More than three million people live with AS in the United States, and every May, there is World AS Day to bring awareness to the disease.  

Running and living with arthritis seem to be contradictory activities, but we’ll chat with Camden about how he approaches and addresses the challenges that come with AS and how he hasn’t let this diagnosis stop him from achieving his goals.  

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast: words can’t express how thankful and blessed I am to have been able to do this for another year.  Please share an episode to help spread the word about Blue Water Running’s mission, which is to feature and celebrate the achievements of high school and collegiate cross country and track/field athletes from our area. You can follow Blue Water Running on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with athlete and meet reports and photos on the website at bluewaterrunning.org.

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