Master Sergeant Cedric King (Ret.) entered the United States Army in 1995. During a career that took him from an infantry private to a position of leadership in the elite Rangers, King graduated from a number of distinguished Army schools. These included the United States Army Jumpmaster School, United States Army Pathfinder School, Air Assault School, the United States Army Ranger School, and others. He is the recipient of the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, and is a four-time Best Ranger Competition participant. On July 25, 2012, during his second tour in Afghanistan, King was severely injured by an improvised explosive device. The blast caused major internal injuries, permanent loss to part of his right arm and hand, and the amputation of both legs. He applied the same determined, can-do mindset to his recovery that he had relied on to succeed as an elite Army Ranger. With the love and support of his wife Khieda and daughters Amari and Khayma, he began rebuilding his life. Just 21 months after losing both legs, King completed the Boston Marathon, running on prosthetic blades. He has gone on to compete in a number of physically daunting events, including a 70.3-mile half Ironman Triathlon, the 2014 New York City Marathon, and the 48.6-mile Disney Marathon series. There, he successfully completed four runs in four days: a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and full marathon. King shares his inspirational story of endurance with audiences across the country, including schools, churches, the National Football League, and Fortune 500 companies. Just as he led and motivated men in combat, he now leads and motivates others to see the possibilities in their own lives.
