From my first sports experience of soccer goalie at age seven I learned very quickly I was competitive and hyper focused on getting better as an individual. I also picked up very quickly that I was not the most gifted athlete, and that I would have to study the sports harder to find areas I could capitalize on my strengths.
Growing up with six brothers I was immersed in various sports which helped me become well-rounded athletically, as I never specialized at any one sport. While I was not an elite athlete these principles of general preparation would carry me far in the sport of strongman, which I would dive head first into at the age of 16.
Through Youtube and World’s Strongest Man reruns I was able to find passion in strongman. I competed in my first strongman show in 2009 at 16. I got my butt kicked, but I was hooked. The door of the car had barely closed on the car ride back when I told myself “I can’t let that happen again”. In my next show I won the teen class.
In less than 5 years later I won teenage nationals, broke open men’s amateur strongman records at 19 that still stand today, and won my professional strongman status on the biggest stage at the Arnold. This made me the second youngest professional Strongman in America. To back my experience in the sport that same year I graduated from University of North Florida with a B.S. in Athletic Training. I had finally found methods of training, progression and understanding of the events that could lead to my success, even if I did not possess “elite” strength.
In the next two years I focused on improved body composition, and lost nearly 100 pounds. I began combining professional strongman competitions with long distance runs on the same weekend as I branched out in the sports world. 2016 would bring about another professional strongman card one weight class down (one of only a handful to do). Additionally that year I competed in my first Olympic weightlifting meet, marathon, ultramarathon and triathlon.