Carole Cory Proves Age is Just a Number

By Rocco Geppi

There comes a time in everyone's life when they question what the future holds for them.

"What am I going to do for the rest of my life?"

In the case of Carole Cory this process is not about a single moment in time. She has had multiple "what am I going to do" instants.

The latest chapter in Cory's life has brought the 45-year-old, soon to be United States government retiree, to the Community College of Baltimore County Essex to become a certified massage therapist.

Oh yeah, she's also a member of the Knights' cross country team and is one of three runners from CCBC currently in Fort Dodge, Iowa at the NJCAA Division I Women's Cross Country National Championship Meet.

"I cracked up when she told me, via text message that she was running cross country," said Cory's daughter, Cory Johnson, 26. "It's so Carole Cory. I'm so proud and super happy for her."

Road to cross country

Cory, a native of Gaithersburg, Md., grew up as "a child of the 1970s," and had a very carefree childhood with a lot of freedom. She was an avid swimmer, but one fall day in Westminster, Md. gave her a new passion.

Her best friend's family invited her to run at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) and being an athlete she accepted the challenge. The young teenager trotted along in her first race – a 5K.

"It nearly killed me," Cory said. "But I loved it."

So began a lifetime passion of running. That one race led Cory to join cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in high school.

She qualified twice for Maryland state high school competitions – as a junior and senior – where she was a top 30 runner in the state.

A self-described tomboy, Cory says she was competitive at an age when many were still learning the alphabet.

"I loved to compete at an early age," she said. "I would race the boys at recess in elementary school."

But while Cory had a competitive edge, there were still questions about her post high school running career. She says her parents never pushed her in any one direction athletically and were not engaged; nor was her high school counselor and she didn't think she would garner enough attention for a college scholarship.

"I didn't really know how to go down that road," Cory said. "So I figured I would just try to walk on somewhere."

She was interested in programs at five colleges, but narrowed it down to University of New Hampshire and Boston University and after visiting the former, she made her decision.

All set to attend New Hampshire, Cory suffered a setback the summer prior to the fall semester of her freshman year. A stress fracture in her right tibia would prevent her from running.

She attended UNH for one semester, and then returned home to attend Montgomery College in the spring. During this time, she found out she was pregnant with her daughter Cory, got married, and left college to start a family.

It was a decision she never regretted.

The United States Senate

When Cory left Montgomery College, she embarked on two adventures: raising a family and working for the U. S. Senate.

Cory's mother worked in the Senate for 34 years, and Cory began working for the U.S. Senate as a paid intern in high school. 

Cory worked until the birth of her first child and returned after her maternity leave. Less than two years later her son, Brad Johnson, was born and Cory chose not to return to work for almost two years.

When she went back to work in the Senate, Cory took a job in the computer center for five years. As she was preparing to become a consultant that would see her liaison between up to 15 offices, an amazing opportunity presented itself.   

Senator Paul Wellstone (D-Minnesota) was looking for a new systems administrator and Cory was determined to land the position.

Wellstone was a former professor at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. and was elected to his first senate term in 1990 in upset fashion.

"I jumped at the chance to work for Paul," Cory said. "He was a real maverick in the Senate."

Cory worked with Wellstone from 1998 until his untimely death in a plane crash in October 2002. She stayed on to close up his office, when another opportunity was presented.

Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada) offered Cory a job as his systems administrator. Shortly after, the office of Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington) made a similar offer.

"I really wanted to work for a woman," Cory said. "So I turned down Harry Reid to work for Patty Murray."

The road to retirement, redemption and redefinition

Cory began researching two and a half years ago how to retire from the Senate and in July 2015, she filed her retirement paperwork. She has spent a total of 27 years working for the Senate.

Cory now telecommutes four days a week and attends CCBC Essex full-time.

She was eligible to retire on Nov. 10, but decided to stay on through the end of the year for a better transition for Senator Murray's offices.

"Carole has been an incredible member of my team for many years and she will be truly missed," Senator Murray said. "If she puts half as much effort and drive into her running as she has into helping make sure our office works as well as possible for Washington state families, then I am confident she is going to continue to succeed."

Cory's return to running was a bit more complicated.

After leaving college to raise her two children, Cory continued to stay fit and healthy, even participating in adult soccer leagues.

In 2006, she would require knee surgery that left doctors telling her she should never run again.  

"She was kind of depressed when she was told she could no longer run," said her daughter Cory. "But she was determined to run, and refused to accept that she could not."

Almost four years later, Cory began running to test out her knee and felt great. At age 40, she was once again lacing up her running shoes.

She continued running 5K races and marathons for the next five years and loved the feeling running gave her.

Cory also began to feel her competitive running spirit return.

With her retirement in sight, Cory began taking massage therapy at CCBC Essex. She is a certified personal trainer, but decided that was not the new life path for her.

About one week prior to the start of the current fall semester, Cory thought, "I might be eligible to run [cross country]."

She contacted head coach Meghan Fugate by email and explained her desire. Fugate invited her to the team's next practice and Cory's passion was reborn.

"The only concern I had [when she initially told me] was her past knee problems," said Cory's son Brad, 24. "But it brings her a lot of pleasure, so I'm not worried about it anymore.

"We hear people talk about watching their children grow up," Brad continued. "Over the last five to six years, it's been great to watch [my mom] find herself. She set a lot aside when she was still young so she could provide for [my sister and me]. It's great to see her have the chance to live out her dreams."

Cory placed fourth at the 2015 NJCAA Region XX Championships in the 5K race (21.46) and tenth in the Maryland JUCO Conference.

Cory, along with teammates Shawnee Rochester and Kelsie Williams, will run in the 5K at nationals, which is scheduled to begin tomorrow at noon.

"Carole is hardworking, determined, and an outstanding motivator and a leader," said Fugate. "To have someone like her that has two grown children, works full-time, is coming back to school to reinvent herself, and then to take on a junior college sports and be one of the top three runners on the team and one of the best in the region is motivating and amazing, not only for our team but every team we compete against as well."

Cory is on pace to finish her massage therapy program in summer 2016.

In addition to the support of her children, Cory says her partner, Rachel DeMunda, "has been a huge supporter of me and my decision to go back to school and run for [CCBC Essex]." The two were married two weeks ago at the court house in Baltimore.