Marble Falls grad Isaiah Vidal now a Spartan pro
DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR
MARBLE FALLS — For almost two years, Marble Falls High School graduate Isaiah Vidal pushed his body through some of the most extreme races imaginable — several with the moniker “Death Race.”
Some might have wondered why he punished his body by competing in the Spartan Race series and other obstacle-course competitions.
Similar thoughts bounced around in his head. While he landed a few sponsors, Vidal wasn’t exactly making a living at the up-and-coming sport.
But that all changed in March, when the Spartan Race named Vidal as one of a handful of its professional team members.
“It really changes everything for me,” Vidal said. “Now, I can really just concentrate on my training.”
Spartan Race is one of the largest obstacle-course racing outfits in the business. Its Facebook page alone has 3.5 million followers. And the company puts on obstacle races of different scopes and sizes, not only across the country, but around the world. As a professional member of the Spartan team, Vidal will compete in a Spartan Race on April 26-27 in Santa Martina, Chile. And thanks to his new status, he doesn’t have to pay for the flight and trip.
“As a professional, most of my expenses are covered,” Vidal said.
Turning obstacle-course racing into a career has been in the back of Vidal’s mind for a while. He first started pursuing the sport in earnest about two years ago. At first, it was a way to keep himself in shape. He considered making obstacle-course racing a career, but he just wasn’t ready — not mentally.
“I had people around me who were telling me I was wasting my time and just beating my body up for nothing,” Vidal said.
However, last summer, Vidal, made a major shift in his thinking. And it all came about because Spartan Race co-founder Joe DeSena simply told him to go for a bike ride. Of course, the ride was a 2,000-mile cross-country journey from Austin to Vermont, where he would compete in the Spartan World Championships. It was a grueling trip during which Vidal went through both physical and mental challenges like none he had ever faced.
He made it to Vermont and competed. But the man who stood at the starting line of the world championship wasn’t the same man who started pedaling his bike in Austin.
“I had a complete mental shift after that ride,” Vidal said. “It wasn’t enough just to compete, I wanted to win.”
He returned to Texas and began surrounding himself with people who pushed him and supported his goals. As for the naysayers? Well, Vidal didn’t pay much attention to them. He hooked up with a top trainer and began setting himself up for a shot at the pro-athlete status.
And it all began falling into place.
Earlier this year, Vidal relocated to Colorado so he could train under the guidance of Jim Warren, one of the top coaches in the obstacle-course world and in athletics in general.
Vidal will hit several races through April including in Chile, Miami and Fort Carson, Colo., before returning to Texas for the Spartan series at Reveille Peak Ranch in Burnet on May 17-18.
And while he already has competed in several of the events, including at Reveille Peak Ranch, he knows it’s not just about showing up.
“Now, it’s about winning,” he said.
Go to www.spartanrace.com for more information on the series and obstacle-course racing or to register for the Reveille Peak Ranch event.
daniel@thepicayune.com