39; Manager at FedEx
I LOVE MOUNTAIN BIKING: Flow state! When you really get going on a mountain bike, you have no choice but to commit, hone in on your line choice, and focus on what speed you hit turns, rocks, jumps, and drops. There’s nothing else like it. This becomes really important on steep downhill runs where braking and body position are critical. Everything else fades away.
BUCKET LIST: Trans Madeira Enduro
UP NEXT: The Sylamore 25k foot race. I only do one running race a year, and that one is a blast because many people from Memphis make the trip.
FAVE FITNESS ACCOMPLISHMENT: I won an Enduro Race in Ponca, AR. I had to wait around an hour for everyone to turn in their timing chips, and the suspense was brutal. I finished third place overall in the Arkansas Enduro Series last year.
HOMETOWN: Memphis, TN
SPEED BUMPS: In 2022, I broke my collarbone guinea pigging a steep, rocky section of a trail in Hot Springs, AR. My first race back four months later included the same section. But I did it, and I remember screaming most of the rest of the downhill run and passing four people.
MY GROUP: Stanky Creek and diversiFIT
FAVORITE JAMS: Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name” or some Motown.
RECENT RACES: I got second place in the Legend of Stanky Creek E-Bike open.
MOST MEMORABLE FITNESS EVENT: The hardest thing I’ve done is the BT Epic 50 miler. I’ve got my sights on doing the Leadville 100 bike race with a few guys from my gym next year, too.
BINGE-WATCHING: I leave “Planet Earth” or some nature show on TV for my dog and cat all day. My cat loves watching polar bears!
BEST EATS: Jerked wings from Central BBQ
DREAM DINNER COMPANY: Charles Barkley
GO-TO GEAR: For mountain biking, I really like Strava.
INSPIRATION TO BE FIT: I tore my labrum at 28, and the next three years were a lot of pain and very few answers in terms of fixing it. I got to the point where I started lifting weights and doing lengthening and strengthening for my hip flexors, core, feet, and back. I went from not being able to walk or sit without pain to eventually being able to run sprints pain-free. I don’t take my body for granted, and working on it is more like a necessity to me now.
ON MY NIGHTSTAND: “All The Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr
PET PEEVE: Shoes with small toe boxes. I’m a big believer in having a good foundation, and to me, that starts with healthy feet.
QUOTE: “Go fast, don’t die.”
Photo by D’Angelo Connell
