Check Out Tyler McCandless’ Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler McCandless.

Hi Tyler, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Professional athletes are sometimes characterized as being lazy and spending all day relaxing when not training for their sport. I’m the opposite – my top priority is being a great husband to my wife Kristin and our two boys, Levi (4 years) and Jack (1 year).

Next, I’m director of data science for Tomorrow.io, an innovative weather intelligence company where I lead a team working to improve weather forecasting accuracy with data science. Then, I’m a highly competitive runner with personal bests ranging from 13:48 for 5K to 2:12 in the marathon and having qualified for four Olympic Marathon Trials.

I do the bulk of my training before 7 a.m., so I can have breakfast with the boys before starting work and that balance has worked terrifically well for me this year, highlighted by winning the Pittsburgh Marathon.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
If the road was smooth, the reward would not have been worth it. Everyone talks about pursuing balance but it’s impossible to always achieve.

Whenever you’re passionately pursuing a goal or aspiration, you’ll be off balance. The key is to accept this and don’t stay too off balance in one way for too long.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What sets me most apart from others is that I hold a Ph.D. in Meteorology and have an important role leading a data science team at an incredible company, Tomorrow.io, yet I still compete with the best long-distance runners in the US in races from the 10k to the marathon.

What I’m most proud of is that while these two passions are important in my life, there’s nothing more important than being a great dad and husband. I am beyond lucky that my amazing wife Kristin supports my passions, and we are extraordinarily happy to be present with our boys as much as possible.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
Camping and fishing with my family in northeast Pennsylvania at a campground called Keen Lake.

We’d spend Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day enjoying a lot of time outside fishing and being on the water making great memories.

Contact Info:

• Website: Http://Tyler mccandless.us
• Instagram: @TrackTy
• Facebook: @TrackTy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylermccandless
• Twitter: @TrackTy