Native St. Louisan Derik Scott has only been out of college about 10 years, but he’s packed quite a bit into that decade. He earned a law degree and an MBA, started a legal practice and built on his success as an athlete and trainer—and he even has a Guinness World Record! Now, Scott can add finalist on NBC’s The Titan Games to his list of accomplishments.
The Lindbergh High School and Lindenwood University alum wasn’t the ultimate victor in the endurancebased physical competition, but he says it was an amazing experience nonetheless. Hosted by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, the series premiered in January with 64 contestants and crowned its first male and female champions at the end of February. Scott, who now lives in L.A., says he battled through a number of physically demanding obstacle courses and challenges to reach the final eight. “You recognize that pressure, anxiety and fear are the same as excitement and exhilaration, and you reframe your emotions in a positive way so you can get into the zone,” he explains.
how did you get involved with the titan games?
I had tried out for other shows like American Ninja Warrior in the past, and that’s how the producers knew about me. I was excited when they called and asked if I’d be interested in this new series. When I heard The Rock was hosting, I said, “I’m in.” I dedicated my performance to my older brother Ian, who passed away when we were kids. He’s a big reason why I do this sort of thing; I try to be a big brother to other people in his honor.
how did y
I train regularly, so the physical requirements were already in place before I entered the competition. My family pushed me to excel athletically from a young age, so that’s another reason it was relatively easy for me. I’m not super huge, about 5-foot-9, but I’ve been competing at a national level in gymnastics and martial arts for years. In the martial arts community, we strive to be ‘ready at every second,’ and I’ve had the full support of my family behind me as well. So I felt very confident going in.
what was the competition like?
I heard that I was considered an underdog because of my height, which surprised me. I’ve never felt like that in anything I’ve done! Learning other people’s perceptions of me as the games unfolded was interesting, to say the least. I embraced it, though, and did really well. I had so many people sending me messages of encouragement that it was kind of surreal. Being in the arena is like standing in the Roman Colosseum, only they’ve added lots of lights, cameras and pyrotechnics. Each segment lasts just a couple of minutes on TV, but it takes much longer to film.
what was it like working with the rock?
He is a great motivator. During the competition, he’s standing there next to you saying, “Let’s go, you can do more,” so you know you can make it happen. After filming, he sometimes would invite us to go for drinks or dinner on him. He is a really cool, genuine person, just like his on-screen characters.
what is your guinness world record?
My brothers Zeke, Shaun and I performed the most Swiss ball backflips between two people in one minute (37 flips) and in 30 seconds (25 flips). You jump onto the ball, do a backflip and the other person jumps and catches it.
why do you enjoy competing?
For me, competition always has been very zen. I’m always mindful of my health, nutrition and what is going on around me. The hard work and mental preparation are already in the bank, so when I’m competing, I can focus on enjoying the experience. During The Titan Games, I watched videos of myself and felt like I could almost see my own thought processes! Waiting for one challenge to begin, I psyched myself up by dancing while the crowd cheered, and it was an amazing moment. The best part of the experience was the friendships I made with other competitors. It’s amazing how supportive everyone was and how close we became. When you celebrate the victories of others, you get to do a lot more winning yourself.
Photos courtesy of CMPR