New alum celebrates graduation by completing Ironman Texas

On May 12, history major Mandy King, BA ’12, walked the Ferrell Center stage and received her diploma alongside more than 2,000 of her Class of 2012 classmates. That evening, the AFROTC cadet was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

But that wasn’t enough for the San Antonio-area native. A week later, on an 85-degree day just north of Houston, King completed her first full Ironman distance triathlon. Over the course of 14 hours and 3 minutes, King swam 2.4 miles across Lake Woodlands, biked 112 miles through The Woodlands, then ran a 26.2-mile course around the lake to complete the triathlon.

In a nod to the “Year of the Bear,” King ran the finisher’s chute with a Baylor flag and struck her best Heisman pose at the finish line. “I could not have asked for a better day or a better end to my college career as a Baylor Bear,” she says.

Having recovered from the Triathlon, King is now headed for active duty with the Air Force and plans to attend pilot training in 2013.

Sic ’em, Mandy!

[We learned of this story from a Bear who shared her Baylor pride. Do you know of an inspiring story, news item, or just a fun link that makes you proud of Baylor and the Baylor family? Let us know! Click here to submit your point of pride!]