Karen Buxton is a veteran coach with over 30 years of experience, including 20 years specializing in endurance sports. She holds a B.S. in Allied Health Sciences from Johnson State College and an M.Ed. in Athletic Administration from Temple University. Karen is a USA Triathlon Level III and Youth & Junior Certified Coach.
She has held leadership roles with USA Triathlon, including Secretary-General of the Board of Directors and Co-Chair of the Age Group Commission. Karen is a published author, national presenter, and founder of Team Tri for Hospice, a nonprofit that has raised over $180,000 for hospice care.
A decorated athlete, Karen is a multi-time USA Triathlon and Duathlon All-American, Ironman All-World Athlete, and Hall of Fame inductee at The Pennington School, Johnson State College, and Guilford County, NC. She has completed over 180 triathlons and duathlons, including 15 Ironman finishes, with two Ironman World Championship finishes in Kona, Hawaii (2004 & 2014), and two team Race Across America completions.
In December 2021, Karen was named the first head coach in Greensboro College women’s triathlon history. Under her leadership, the program has quickly grown and achieved national recognition:
- 2024: The team placed 3rd at the East Regional Qualifier. Grace Dobson finished 7th, earning a spot at Nationals and selection to the CTCA East Region Team.
- 2023: Sophomore Grace Dobson qualified for Nationals with a 13th place finish at the East Region Qualifier. She placed 47th at the National Championship in Tempe, AZ, setting a program-best time of 1:34:29.
- 2022: In the inaugural season, Sophia Walter and Alex Prillaman qualified for the Collegiate National Championship by placing 14th and 19th at the East Regional NCAA Qualifier.
Karen is also the founder of Coachbuxton.com, an online coaching service for endurance athletes. She married to her husband Terry and has two grown children, Marty and Elizabeth.
