Master Sgt. Cedric King

Master Sergeant Cedric King entered the United States Army in 1995 and served 20 years of distinguished military service. Throughout his career, he completed multiple elite Army schools, including the United States Army Ranger Course, Jumpmaster Course, Pathfinder Course, and Air Assault School. His exceptional performance earned him numerous honors, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and the Order of Saint Maurice—one of the highest recognitions within the Infantry.

On July 25, 2012, during his second deployment to Afghanistan, King was critically wounded by an improvised explosive device. The blast caused catastrophic injuries, including the loss of both legs and permanent damage to his right arm and hand. King now calls that moment his “finest hour”—the turning point that propelled him into a new mission of resilience, leadership, and service.

During recovery, he completed his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and began refining his message as a keynote speaker. King transformed adversity into a platform for growth, teaching audiences how to overcome fear, build mental stamina, and convert hardship into opportunity. His message has reached global audiences, including the U.S. Naval Academy, West Point, and professional sports teams across the NFL, NBA, and MLB. He has also spoken for Fortune 500 organizations such as Bank of America, Home Depot, Under Armour, Google, Meta, and many others.

In 2019, King published his book "The Making Point," sharing the mindsets and stories that shaped his journey—including completing the 2014 Boston Marathon just 21 months after losing both legs. In 2020, Hollywood took notice, and his life story is currently being developed into a feature film titled "Endurance."

King continues to defy limits as an elite adaptive endurance athlete. He has completed the Marine Corps 50K Ultra, multiple 70.3 Ironman events, 3 New York City Marathons, 4 Chicago Marathons, 11 Boston Marathons, and the 48.6-mile Disney “Dopey Challenge” three times. Of the 28,000 athletes who have finished all six World Major Marathons, only five are amputees—and only two are double amputees. Cedric is one of them. He is currently training to be the first American double amputee to complete the newest world major marathon in Sydney, Australia, in August of this year.

King's greatest honor is his faith in Jesus Christ and being married to his wife, Khieda, since 2000. They are proud parents of two daughters, Amari and Khayma.