Experience & Background

 

I came into sport in a roundabout way that was more of a personal pilgrimage rather than a traditional athlete or coach’s arc. While I did not anticipate dedicating my entire adult life to understanding the different facets of high performance, it is something I continually find myself immersed in every day. In the sections below, you will find some details about my various experiences in coaching, athletics and education.

Coaching Background

Coaching originally came about as an extension of my own athletic experience. My first athlete was myself as I went through the first five years of triathlon in a self-guided capacity. This eventually evolved into informally, and then formally, helping other athletes in their pursuit of success. Over the years, I have worked with athletes with a range of experience, age, and abilities across a multitude of different sports including triathlon, running, cycling, ultra swimming, rowing and more. While some of the highlights of their results are listed below, the more important gauge of success from my perspective is the personal growth and progression each athlete sees in themselves and the sense of joy they take away from their own journey.

Some highlights from coaching have included:

  • Overall AG winners of multiple Ironman & 70.3 Events

  • National AG Triathlon Champions

  • Olympic Marathon Trials qualifiers

  • Ultraman Champion (Florida)

  • Top 5 Overall AG Ironman World Championship

  • Silver Medalist at ITU World AG Championship

  • Multiple AG winners at Ironman & 70.3 Events

  • Multiple World Championship qualification in Ironman, 70.3 & ITU triathlons

Athletic Background

My athletic background growing up did not involve any formal endurance athletics aside from the occasional three mile jogs I did around Rice University near my neighborhood. However, after I transitioned to college I made my way towards the sport of triathlon and while I would not necessarily say I had a natural disposition towards any of three disciplines, I did develop a deep sense of joy and passion for doing the work required for success. I raced as an amateur age group triathlete from 2000-05, a professional triathlete from 2006-2020, and have continued to pursue athletics after retirement in other avenues outside of the sport of triathlon.

Professional Highlights

  • Ironman Champion

  • 10 Top-3 Ironman podium finishes,

  • 18 Top-5 Ironman finishes,

  • 29 Top-10 finishes (41 total Ironman finishes). Full Results listed HERE.

  • More than 100 professional races across multiple race distance

  • Multiple local and regional victories

Amateur Highlights

  • Top American Ironman World Championship (2004)

  • Overall Ironman Florida Age Group Champion

  • USAT South Midwest Collegiate Champion

  • Multiple AG and Overall AG triathlon wins

  • First Ironman Triathlon: IM California 2001 (12:55, 1034th place)

  • First Olympic Triathlon: San Angelo, Texas 2000 (2:52)

  • First Marathon: Austin 2000 (4:13)

Post-Retirement

  • Ötillö SwimRun World Championship 2023

  • New York City Marathon 2024 (2:40:36)

  • Various SkiMo Competitions

Education & Certifications

I consider the bulk of my education and knowledge to be grounded in real world experience and the successes, failures, and lessons that come from it. However, while I was racing I was drawn towards trying to understand more about the psychological side of high performance which led to my pursuit of attaining a Masters degree in the field of sport and performance psychology. This has led to expanding the scope of work, both in respects to incorporating psychologically-informed coaching practices as well as working directly with athletes in a mental performance consulting capacity.

  • Masters in Sport and Performance Psychology - Applied Concentration; University of Western States (2025)

  • USA Triathlon Level II Coaching Certification

  • SafeSport Certified

  • Bachelor’s Degree from Texas A&M University: History Major; Political Science Minor (2003)

  • In Progress: Working towards attaining my CMPC (Certified Mental Performance Consultant) through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology

Further Reading

I have written about many of my experiences over the years and if you are interested in reading more, I would suggest starting with the following:

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