Dr. Tara (Tormey) Parks
Women's Cross Country (1995-1997)
Two-time Skyway Conference Runner of the Year
Waubonsee’s 1996-97 Female Athlete of the Year
Two-time All-Region and Top-40 runner at 1996 National meet on team that finished 13th nationally
Distinguished NJCAA Academic All-American
Podiatrist at Boulder Medical Center
Ever since she took her very first steps, Tara Tormey Parks has continued to consistently put one foot in front of the other. She ultimately covered a lot of ground as a standout runner at Waubonsee in the mid-1990’s. These days, Dr. Parks helps other people in pursuit of their dreams as a well-respected podiatrist in Colorado.
Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Parks moved to Illinois where she graduated in 1995 from nearby Geneva High School, running track and cross country for the Vikings. As a freshman at Waubonsee the following fall she took first place at the Skyway Conference meet, finishing a full minute ahead of the next closest competitor to run off with the conference’s Runner of the Year award. A short time later she earned All-Region honors to qualify for Nationals. The following year she “stepped up” her game by again taking the top spot in the Skyway Conference. Parks then earned All-Region honors by placing third at the Region IV meet to qualify for Nationals. She went on to finish 40th at the NJCAA National Meet in Overland, Kansas, leading Waubonsee to a 13th place finish nationally. The Chiefs’ team captain capped off her sophomore year by being named Waubonsee’s Female Athlete of the Year for the 1996-1997 school year.
Parks was also a step ahead of the competition in the classroom. A Gustafson Scholar, she earned Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) All-Academic status, was named to the NJCAA’s All-Academic Team, achieved Distinguished NJCAA Academic All-American honors and was a finalist to be Waubonsee’s Dick Durrant Award representative with a 3.95 grade point average.
Parks transferred to Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale, where she ran for the NCAA Division I Salukis. She earned her bachelor’s degree in physiology from SIU in 2000. Parks later earned her doctorate from the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at the Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago. She moved to Colorado in 2004 and served in residency at Highlands Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Denver. Parks joined the Boulder Medical Center in 2007 where she currently serves as the foot and ankle specialist in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. She resides in Westminster, Colorado with her husband Jeremy and two daughters, Sierra and Scarlett. Parks also currently serves as an assistant coach for the Westminster Coyote Cross Country team, and recently ran in the 2015 Boston Marathon.