“No one can tell you how big your heart is.” – Steph Corker
I stumbled across Steph Corker about 10 years ago. We became Facebook Friends and luckily our circles met in the middle and like a Venn diagram, she eventually became my triathlon coach.
Steph is the founder of The Corker Collective, she is a passionate triathlete, and a chaser of start lines and elevated heartbeats. She is innovative, enthusiastic, and a believer that all things are possible. In an interview on Sole inspired, Steph says that she is “the most enthusiastic underdog here, and that’s all that matters.” She’s referring to lining up with the Ironman pro field in 2017. Steph missed qualifying for Kona (the dream of many Ironman athletes) in 2015 four times by one spot. We would be hard-pressed to find anyone with the same story, but who used these four races to deepen their hunger for the race and eventually become a professional.
She’s shattered her own goals over and over and lives a life that is aligned with her deepest and juiciest values. Steph is both humble and gigantic all at once. She believes in the power of people, and she never will never underestimate your potential; she’ll make you believe that you can grow wings, and then use them to fly. In a lululemon ad, she says, “I will never ever tell someone they can’t do something because I would never tell someone something that I wouldn’t tell myself.”
I had a chance to jam with Steph face-to-face via Zoom and here are a few nuggets from the bottom of her heart. I asked Steph four questions:
Would you rather be the best person on a losing team or the worst person on a winning team?
Steph: Without question, the worst person on a winning team. And it’s less about the winning team and more about being the worst person. The reason that I am drawn to that is because I totally want to be with and surrounded by people that are better than me that push me. In my most confident state, I do believe that I have something to contribute across the board. That might not be something that makes me the best.
“I don’t see winning and losing in that way. It just feels like it’s so binary and black and white.”
If a movie was made of your life, what would it be called and who would play you?
Steph: Ahhhh, this is the one question I hoped you wouldn’t ask. The only reason is cause I don’t watch movies. And I don’t know anyone.
How about a book? If a book was written about your life, what would it be called/like?
Steph: Um. Oh Gosh, this might be really juvenile, but it feels super genuine. If someone were to write a book about me, I would want to be Dr. Seuss. And I believe he’s passed, but I would want Dr. Seruss to … I love poeming. I love his ability to use essential language and deliver a message and it’s something you can think about. It generates joy. I love his illustrations. And in the name of poeming, if someone could write a song about me or for me, I would like it to be Macklemore.
What is the closest thing to real magic?
Steph: Ahhh. A finish line. Without question, a finish line and it can be sweaty or not. You know, I think love is magic. I think love is the start line and the finish line in one. Every day. I think there’s magic in what it takes to get to a finish line. And there are so many pieces and so many days, so many people and so many thoughts, that you had to endure. I think it’s the epitome of self over suffering. And self wins.
What is the most useful thing you own?
Steph: Oooh. You know what, I don’t think this is super practical, or not and I am sure everyone answers this in their own way. I am really obsessed with Muji Pens. And I think it’s the most useful thing I own because I’m obsessed with lists plans and dreams, and I think the ability to get out of our head and to put it on paper is the first step toward me doing absolutely anything. And so I would say a pen. Multiple colors. Colors matter. I think that everything that comes after pen-to-paper is magic. And magic is love, and magic is finish lines. But it all has to start somewhere. And it all starts for me with a pen.
I have yet to meet Steph personally, but we have shared pieces of our hearts with each other. Canadaloves.ca is honored to highlight this remarkable human on our first Friday Featured Female.
