The Spartan Games Athlete Bios

Here are all of the athletes competing in The 2020 Spartan Games. You can find out about the events and results on this post.

Men

Ryan Atkins (33)

• Finished 2nd at Spartan WC 5 times
• 17 USNS podiums (most all-time for men)
• 2016 and 2019 USNS points series champion
• 40 total Spartan Race podiums (13th all-time for men)
• Podium at all 5 Spartan distances + 24-Hour
• Never lost an obstacle race over 8 hours
• 2 Spartan Ultra 24-Hour Championship wins
• Iceland (2018), Sweden (2019)
• 6 World’s Toughest Mudder wins (3 solo – 2013, 2014, 2017 and 3 team – 2015, 2016, 2018)
• 6 Toughest Mudder (8-Hour) wins
• Most miles in WTM history (110 miles in 2017)
• 13 OCRWC podiums (including 3k win in 2016)
• 21 BattleFrog podiums
• 2nd place at Eco Challenge: Fiji last year on team with Rea Kolbl.

Hunter McIntyre (31)

• Finished top-7 at Spartan Race WC 6 times
• 36 total Spartan Race podiums (16th all-time for men)
• Best avg finish place ever (2.3) at USNS races
• Never finished worse than 7th at a Spartan Race (best all-time for North American-based racers with 10+ career races)
• 3rd at 2013 Spartan WC in Vermont and 1st in Vermont Short Course WC after
• 2017 and 2018 TMX champion
• 2019 CrossFit Games competitor
• Hyrox WR holder
• Murph WR holder
• Undefeated on Broken Skull Challenge

Ryan Kent (34)

• 40 career Spartan wins (3rd all-time)
• 64 career Spartan podiums (4th all-time)
• 4 finishes between 6th-12th at Tahoe
• 6 podiums at USNS races (tied-4th all-time)
• Podiumed in 21 different states (1st all-time)
• 1 of 3 men with a USNS podium in 4 different years (with Atkins + Killian)
• Won last 4 Stadium Series races in 2019 (somehow didn’t win Stadium Series title, though)
• Former ocean lifeguard (good at swimming)
• Won The Selection TV show

Aaron Newell (27)

• 4th at 2019 Spartan Race WC
• 3rd at 2019 Spartan Ultra 24-Hour WC in Sweden (75 miles)
• 11 Spartan podiums in 2019 (tied-4th most in US)
• Only started racing Spartan in 2018
• 2019 Broken Arrow Triple Crown winner
• 7th overall in 2019 USNS standings
• 2nd at 2019 NorAm OCR Championship 15k
• Fantastic rock climber
• Beat Ryan Atkins by 25:06 at 2012 North Face Endurance 50-Miler when he was only 16
• Huge injury history (torn labrum, broke both feet, broke left ankle, giardia, mono, surgeries)

Josiah Middaugh (42)

• 2015 World Xterra Triathlon world champion
• 3 other podiums at Xterra Triathlon WC (2004, 2012, and 2014)
• 12 US National Xterra titles
• 6 USSSA National Snowshoe titles
• 2nd at first-ever Spartan Race WC in Texas in 2011
• Raced in over 15 Xterra WC events despite 5 knee surgeries through the years
• Competed on Eco Challenge: Fiji last year
• Highly considering racing the 2021 USNS

Grant McCartney (31)

• 2-time American Ninja Warrior national finalist
• Competed on 5 American Ninja Warrior seasons
• Competed on both seasons of Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge
• Competed in both TMX Championship events (eliminated after round 1 both times)
• Former semi-pro skateboarder and surfer
• Former flight attendant for Hawaiian Airlines
• His dad (Ron) played in the NFL on the Atlanta Falcons

Michael Wardian (46)

• Qualified for 3 straight US Olympic Trials for marathon (2004, 2008, and 2012)
• 2:17:49 marathon PR
• USATF Ultra Runner of Year from 2008-2011
• USATF National Championship wins:
  • 50k – 2008, 2009, 2010
  • 50 mile trail – 2008
  • 100k – 2008
• WR for 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days (2:45 avg)
• Started running after college, where he played NCAA D1 lacrosse at Michigan St

Jarrod Shoemaker (38)

• Pro triathlete
• 2009 ITU Duathlon World Champion (run-bike-run)
• 18th at 2008 Olympicsin triathlon
• On cover of Wheaties Box in 2008
• NCAA runner at Dartmouth College
• 22nd at 1999 Footlocker XC National Championship (high school)

Max Fennell (33)

• First African-American pro triathlete in history
• Competed on Million Dollar Mile as a Defender
• Quit his college soccer team to try out for MLS team (cut during tryouts)
• Owns a small-batch coffee company (Fenn Coffee)

Herman Demmink (37)

• One of the best 35-39 age group CrossFit athletes worldwide
• CrossFit Open finishes:o 2012 – 284th worldwide
• Fitness stats (according to https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/36713)
• Former minor league baseball player with Philadelphia Phillies
• Former strength and conditioning baseball coach with University of Tennessee

Curtis Maggitt (27)

Rock Lifting Event Video from Saturday

• Former NFL LB with Indianapolis Colts(2016)
• Started 3+ years as LB at University of Tennessee (SEC)
• Overcome multiple major injuries (torn ACL and broken hip)
• Rated #3 OLB in the country coming out of high school
• Passionate about photography

Matt Stevens (31)

• SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) specialist in the United States Air Force
• Wife is on Spartan Pro Team (Emilee (Smith) Stevens)
• Competed in a couple Spartan Races before (Open only)

Lindsay Webster (31)

• 2 Spartan Race world championships (2017 and 2018)
• 3 runner-up finishes at Spartan Race WC (2015, 2016, and 2019)
• Never missed a podium in 22 career USNS races (most all-time both genders)
• 13 career USNS wins (most all-time both genders)
• Won USNS points series title 4 straight years 2016-2019
• Finished 2nd at Tahoe last year despite a broken foot
• 4th at 2014 Spartan WC at Killington in her Spartan debut
• Finished 4th in first 2 Spartan Races, but has never missed podium in 34 Spartan Races since
• 5 career Toughest 8-hour podiums
• Tied for most miles by a woman at Toughest 8-hour race (45 miles)
• 2018 Tougher 10-mile champion in Seattle
• 1st at 2018 WTM (co-ed team), 6th at 2017 WTM solo (75 miles)
• 11 career OCRWC podiums (never lost at 15k in 4 attempts)
• 5 NorAm OCR Championship podiums (4 wins and one 2nd place)
• 16 BattleFrog podiums (tied for most all-time for women)
• Tied for win in Yancy Camp OCR G.O.A.T. bracket earlier this year (200+ votes cast)

Nicole Mericle (32)

• Reigning Spartan Race world champion
• Won Spartan Trifecta WC in Greece last year
• Tahoe improvement since 2016 debut – 12th > 7th > 6th > 1st
• 2nd in 2019 USNS overall points series standings behind Lindsay
• Set single-season podium record with 19 Spartan podiums in 2019 (including 13 wins)
• Has not missed Spartan podium in past 23 races dating back to 2018 Tahoe (6th)
• 34 career Spartan podiums (tied-13th most all-time)
• 2017 Toughest 10-mile world champion in California
• 8 career OCRWC podiums (5 wins and three 2nd)
• NCAA D1 South-Central Regional XC Champion while runner at Rice
• Fantastic rock climber
• Running PRs – 16:39 for 5k, 10:07 for 3000S, 4:25.2 for 1500m

Rea Kolbl (29)

• 40 career Spartan podiums (6th all-time for women)
• Career Spartan WC placements 2016-2019: 7th, 5th, 5th, 9th
• Top-5 at all USNS races 2017-2018
• 7 career USNS podiums (5th all-time for women)
• 1 of just 5 women to have won 3+ USNS races
• Outright won 2017 Hawaii Beast AND Super, beating all men both races
• Arguably the G.O.A.T. of women’s ultra-OCR events
• 1st at 2019 Spartan Ultra 24-Hour Championship in Sweden
• 1st at World’s Toughest Mudder in 2017 (90) and 2018 (75)
• Tied women’s record with 90 miles at her WTM debut in 2017
• 3 career Toughest 8-hour podiums (including 45 miles, which is tied for women’s record)
• 2nd at 2017 Tougher 10-mile world championship
• 2nd place at Eco Challenge: Fiji last year on team with Ryan Atkins
• Competed on Slovenian gymnastics national team for 10 years, just missing Olympics
• One of fastest female times ever on Manitou Incline (23:49)

Corinna Coffin (27)

• 2nd at 2014 Spartan Race WC in Vermont
• 11th at 2015 Spartan Race WC in Tahoe
• 2019 Stadium Series champion
• Competed in 2018 CrossFit Games (team)
• TMX Championship – 1st in 2017, 2nd in 2018
• 16 BattleFrog podiums (tied for most all-time for women)
• Member of triathlon team at Virginia Tech
• Former Broken Skull Challenge champion

Sam Briggs (38)

• 2013 CrossFit Games champion
• 1st in CrossFit Open twice (2013, 2014) and 2nd in 2016
• Career CrossFit Games finishes – 1st, 4th, 4th, 9th, 17th (2013, 2015-2017, 2019)
• Career CrossFit Regional finishes – 1st, 4th, 2nd, 4th, 2nd (2013-2017)
• Arguably the best female runner in CrossFit Games events which involve running
• https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/2536

Kristi (Eramo) O’Connell (31)

• Finished 8th, 13th, and 9th at CrossFit Games 2016-2018
• 7th at 2019 CrossFit Games (Team Invictus)
• Finished 14th-26th in CrossFit Open in 4 of last 5 years
• CrossFit PRs listed here: https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/310687/open
• NCAA D1 swimmer at University of Louisville before switching to CrossFit in 2014
• All-American swimmer in HS in 100y breaststroke
• 7th in Age Group at 2011 USA National Championship Olympic Distance triathlon

Lauren Weeks (30)

• 4th at 2018 TMX World Championship
• Competed in CrossFit Regionals 3 times (2 as an individual, 1 on a team)
• 3 top-200 CrossFit Open worldwide finishes
• Fastest Hyrox time ever on US soil (8th fastest worldwide)
• Finished less than 20 seconds behind Faye Stenning and Alyssa Hawley at Hyrox Chicago

Emma Chapman (32)

• 1st at 2018 TMX World Championship
• Received invite to 2020 CrossFit Games, but it was rescinded due to smaller fields for Covid
• 5th at 2019 CrossFit Games (team)
• CrossFit Open finishes – 29th (2020) and 34th (2018)
• 8th at 2018 CrossFit Regionals (Central Region)
• 2nd at only career Spartan Race (2018 St. Louis Stadium)
• Member of New Zealand’s U20 National Soccer Team
• NCAA D1 soccer player at Marshall University (West Virginia)
• Competed on Million Dollar Mile as a Defender
• CrossFit profile: https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/472971

Samantha Wood (35)

• Leadville 100 finishes – 3rd (2019), 5th (2018)
• Spartan WC finishes 2015-2018: 12th, 18th, 21st, 15th (did not race Tahoe in 2019)
• 6 career Spartan podiums (3 wins)
• NCAA D1 runner at Lipscomb University (in Nashville, TN)
• Doctor (orthopedic physical therapist)
• Member of California Army National Guard (served in Afghanistan)
• 3rd place on Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge (season 1)

Kellyn Taylor (34)

• 7th fastest woman marathoner in US history (2:24:28)
• Other running PRs – 4:33.4 (mile), 15:11.5 (5k), 31:07.6 (10k), 1:10:13 (half)
• Olympic Trials – 2020 marathon (8th), 2016 5k (12th), 2016 10k (4th), 2016 marathon (6th)
• 3rd at 2019 USA Outdoor Track Championships in 10k
• Former NCAA D1 runner at Wichita State University
• 3rd at 2009 NCAA D1 Indoor Championships in mile
• 10th at 2009 NCAA D1 Outdoor Championships in 5k
• Wisconsin HS state champion in 1600m
• Firefighter and mother

Chelsey Magness (36)

• Competed on “Team Bend” on Eco Challenge: Fiji last year
• Professional adventure racer and acrobat
• Mother from Bend, OR

Faith Cooke (31)

• Competed in CrossFit Regionals 2x
• Qualified for USA Weightlifting National Championship
• Single mom in Texas