Athlete Spotlight: Tyler Botts

Name:Tyler Botts

Age:25

Occupation:Teacher/Coach

Hometown:Lawrenceville, GA

Which class time do you usually attend?6:00 PM during the season, but I change times a lot.

Favorite WOD:Anything with back squats

Favorite CF Movement:Cleans

Least Favorite CF Movement: Single Arm Overhead Squats

3RM Back Squat:455

1RM Deadlift:500

Favorite Food: Cheeseburger

Favorite Movie: Gladiator

Favorite Athlete:Brian Urlacher

Dream Job:College Lacrosse Coach

Dream Vacation Destination:New Zealand

If you could have any super power… Super Speed

Favorite Motivational Quote:“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. ‘Til your good is your better and your better is your best.” – St. Jerome

How long have you been doing CrossFit? (Since Month, Year)

February 2017

 How did you first discover CrossFit and what made you decide to start?

MacKenzie Maynard had a great connection with the gym, and I needed to start doing something active again. I was reluctant at first, but I agreed to start foundations with her thinking that I would stop after a few months. After a few classes, I was hooked and decided this was something that I would be doing for a long time.

Tell us about your fitness/sports background:

I’ve always been involved in some type of sport. I played lacrosse and football growing up. I continued to play lacrosse and football all the way through college. Playing sports obviously required me to lift weights regularly, so that’s where I got a good base in a lot of those movements.

What sorts of positive changes (mental, physical, emotional) have you noticed in your life since getting involved at No Excuses?

I’ve noticed that even though I was training all the time with my sports through college, I’m probably in better shape and have a better body composition than I used to.

Who or what keeps you coming back and motivated?

All the people in the gym are always super positive and motivating. I also like that we do different movements that I’m not very good at, so I like to keep coming back to try and get better at those. Having something to be competitive in also helps a lot.

In what other ways do you use your fitness?

I still play in adult lacrosse leagues and tournaments. I sometimes even run with the athletes on the teams that I coach.

Please share with us a favorite CrossFit or No Excuses moment.

2nd Place at Super Team

Name one goal you would like to achieve in the next year (doesn’t have to be CrossFit related, but it can be)

5 unbroken ring muscle ups

Tell us about your hobbies and interests outside of the gym:

I coach lacrosse and football. Those hobbies take up a lot of time.

What advice do you have for someone just starting CrossFit or is on the fence about starting?

It is actually a lot more fun than most people who have never tried it would think. The community that is built inside of the gym makes coming back every day easier than working out on your own. Once you try it, you won’t want to stop.

What do you love most about No Excuses?

Everyone in the gym is very welcoming and fun to be around.

Coach Chris’s Take: “From day one Tyler has been a good athlete, just looking at his background I knew he would do good.  One of the big things that Tyler has come a long way with is his body weight or gymnastics movements. He now does very well at the body weight workouts whereas when he started just doing chin over bar pull ups was a struggle.  The big reason he has been able to do so well at CrossFit is because he takes the coaching and works on quality movement.  In the sport of CrossFit Tyler has huge potential.”