Target Talk: Andy Whittier Found His Lane and Took Off
Andy Whittier joins Target Talk to share his unexpected path from walk-on college football player to Team USA Skeleton athlete. He breaks down what it was like growing up in Pocatello, Idaho, his time at Idaho State, and the setbacks that forced him to pivot after college. We get into how he discovered Skeleton, what training actually looks like, and the mindset shift it took to chase something completely new.
Andy also talks about what it means to represent the U.S. on the world stage, the lessons sports have taught him about resilience, and how he’s still pushing to be the best version of himself. This is an episode about discipline, reinvention, and betting on yourself when the road changes.
Follow him @andy_whittier_
Andy Whittier
USA Skeleton Athlete
Small town kid from Idaho with aspirations as large as the Rocky Mountains. Being a product of a single mom I was witness to the value of hard work and determination growing up. I started playing football when I was ten. Most of my other peers had already begun playing one or more sports at a much younger age but due to our financial situation I didn't get into sanctioned sports until later and my love for the game of football was the obvious choice. Never being the biggest, fastest, or strongest growing up I had to utilized my time in high school to catch up to my peers and be the competitive teammate they deserved. After helping turn a losing high school program around and taking 3rd in state it was time to set my sights on a collegiate career. I accepted an offer to a DIII school in Illinois. This brief chapter in my life last all of 3 weeks before I realized this was not the place I was meant to be. After flying home back to Idaho, nothing to do, and feeling lost; I started working three jobs to pass the time until I could enroll in my local university of Idaho State in the spring semester. Spring came and I continued working but a light got lit inside my soul again when my friend mentioned open walk on tryouts for Idaho States Football Team. I had never heard of these before and was unsure what it was going to be like. I emailed the coach and got the dates and times of when to show up. They informed us it was going to be two 40yd dashes, two short shuttles, bench press reps at 225lbs and a vertical. I was confident in all areas of the testing except the bench … Read More
