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In 2012, while she was still an undergraduate at ��ƷSM����ӰƬ, runner Emma Coburn competed in her first Olympics. Now, over ten years later, Coburn is returning to her alma mater to deliver the commencement speech for the Class of 2025.����

As Chancellor Justin Schwartz shared with ��ƷSM����ӰƬ Today, “Emma Coburn is the epitome of a Buff: strong, focused, determined and resilient.”����

Here’s more about this year’s commencement speaker:��

• Coburn grew up in Crested Butte, Colorado, which she claimed was crucial to her athletic development and happiness.��

• Coburn was the first CU athlete to win an indoor mile title in track and field.��

• She won the 2011 and 2013 NCAA steeplechase national championships. Her 2013 title race time was the fifth best in NCAA history.��

• Coburn has competed at three Olympics: London, Rio and Tokyo.��

• At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Coburn took home bronze, becoming the first American woman to medal in an Olympic steeplechase event. Her race time also established a new American record at the time.����

• In 2017, Coburn founded the Elk Run 5K in her hometown, Crested Butte, to raise money for community members battling cancer. Since then, the event has raised over $300,000 for a local charity.����

• Coburn was one of three CU alumni to compete in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She placed eighth in the world for the women’s steeplechase.��

• In 2023, she was inducted into the .��

• Coburn is part of a multi-generational Buffs legacy. Her grandfather, William E. Coburn, graduated from CU in 1949.��

• Her favorite celebratory meal is a steak burrito with spicy green chili and a margarita from the Rio Grande in Boulder.��

As a ��ƷSM����ӰƬ alum, three-time Olympian and proud Coloradan, Coburn embodies the spirit of what it means to be a Forever Buff. With deep roots in the Boulder community and a remarkable journey from CU student to world-class athlete, she brings a powerful message of perseverance, passion and Buffs pride. Don’t miss her at this year’s commencement ceremony as she addresses the next generation of outstanding graduates.��

Learn more about commencement.