Fan Spotlight: Cory

We have some awesome friends and fans of Neon Bandits and it’s time that we highlight one of our closest friends and fellow New England-native, Cory.

A bit of background on Cory… He moved to Boston from New Hampshire in 1999 with his husband Joe. He’s been in the hair industry for 20 years & currently works at MOP Hair Salon in the South End of Boston. He started running 11 years ago (at age 31) and began racing a few years after that.

We were first introduced to Cory via his running with the Heartbreakers and guiding with Team with a Vision (both of which are partners of Neon Bandits). Cory started running with the Heartbreakers after chatting with the staff at the Heartbreak Hill Running Company and found that “there was a wide range of abilities and everyone was there to work hard and be better,” and added “my running has improved immensely and I gained friends who I can't imagine my life without.”

Cory became a running guide for Team with A Vision (TWAV) after his friend guided a visually impaired runner in the Boston Marathon in 2015. The team was looking for fast guides that could guide some of their speedy athletes and Cory’s friend suggested he reach-out. After registering on the United In Stride website, Cory was contacted by Kyle Robidoux from The Massachusetts Association For The Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI) who informed Cory that he would be training him as a sighted guide.

Cory thus began volunteering with the Massachusetts’s Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired as a sighted guide, and he and Kyle trained together in the Fall of 2015/ Spring 2016 as Kyle prepared for the Boston Marathon. In 2017, Cory completed his first marathon raising nearly $13,000 for MABVI.

The city of Boston and it’s passion for running inspires Cory, “everywhere you go, no matter the weather, people are out there running. I used to be inspired by elite athletes and I still am to a degree, but the people who inspire me most are my amazing teammates who show up to work hard.”

We are huge fans of Cory for the work he does building communities and connections and of course since he chooses to wear Neon Bandits to compliment his active and energetic lifestyle. We asked Cory why he liked our socks so much, and this is what he had to say:  

Well first, the socks are great. They stay up and have a slightly retro feel which I love as I'm a child of the 80's. I also love that you're a local Massachusetts company like my other favs Tracksmith and Janji. I wore Neon Bandits in last year's monsoon of a Boston Marathon (custom TWAV ones!) and they performed amazingly. No chaffing, even though my feet were soaked a mile in. I also love that you guys made a bunch with the Heartbreak Hill logo. I am a sucker for anything with the Heartbreakers logo on it. 

Be sure to catch Cory running around town, and give him a follow on social, @cory1976g, to check out his perfect pairings of Neon Bandits, regardless of the weather. Who knows, we may just have to take his design input on our future running socks- he’s got a great sense of style!