Hobbies
Ways I Like to Have Fun and Better Myself
Rock Climbing
My father introduced me to climbing when I was very young. As I've grown, so have my abilities along with the variety of challenges I get to face. Like pole vaulting, the physical, technical and mental components are very balanced, but climbing presents much more variety because every climb and sub-discipline is very different.
I've won local youth and adult indoor competitions, pushed my abilities to complete 50ft sport routes graded up to 5.13, and long days in the alpine with over 20 hours of effort. Each one I got to experience with my Dad and other friends along the way.
Every challenge takes different skill sets and aspects of risk management to reach the finish safely. I've learned a lot along the way and look forward to continuing to push myself on larger and harder climbs in the future.
Ninja Warrior
Ever since I was young, the challenge and creativity of creating and running obstacle courses has always brought me joy. I was inspired by Ninja Warrior before it took place in the US and witnessed the courses, competitors and show as a whole have progressed over the years. When we built Apex, my dream of formally training and competing became a reality. I have traveled and competed in local and national level ninja competitions where I personally met, competed against some of the most famous and strongest ninjas in the country and attempted courses designed by others. I taught youth just getting started, had training partners that made it on TV and set up courses for national finalists to practice and compete on. After applying multiple times, I have yet to compete on the TV show but watched friends doing so in person and gotten to test the course. I plan to continue competing and enjoying the experiences I have, so I can be even more ready if I ever get the chance.
Pole Vaulting
I've competed in track and field since 4th grade and began pole vaulting in high school. I trained hard and learned about the bio-mechanics from several coaches and eventually earned two Kansas State track medals in the event.
I love the combination of physical, mental, and technical challenges the unique sport provides and have continued to compete as a division II college athlete at Washburn University.
I enjoy getting the opportunity to push my boundaries and comfort zone as I conform my body to run as fast as possible and send myself high into the air.
Mountain Boarding/Electric Skateboarding
In middle school I saved my money and bought myself a montain board. It is an oversized skateboard with an enlarged deck, trucks, inflatable tires, and bindings built to ride off-road on grass, gravel, and dirt. It appealed to me because it was invented by snowboarders wanting an alternative for summer and I believed it would be fun to ride on my family's hilly property in northwestern Arkansas. It was also brand new to me and offered much to discover.
I practiced a lot and found the more I rode in Kansas and Arkansas, the more control over the board and fun I would have. This lead me to buy an electric mountain board about 10 years later. I was no longer limited to going downhill and could ride for miles on trails around my neighborhood, parks, and even to work at our family business.
Electric boards have a lot of parts for the board, motors, drive systems, and microelectronics that I've learned how to fix and replace over time. This knowledge helped me apply toward other things. I loved it so much, I bought a smaller electric skateboard for paved trails and the city. Riding anywhere you want feels akin to having superpowers overcoming the usual laws of friction and gravity.
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