Nick Symmonds
A fiercely independent middle-distance runner who challenged the establishment and then built a new platform for athletes' voices on YouTube.
Born 1983 (age 43)·American athlete and YouTube personality·Birthday: December 30·Millennials
Biography
Nick Symmonds ran with a rebel's heart. At Division III Willamette University, he dominated, but his career was defined by a relentless fight against the rigid structures of track and field's governing bodies. On the track, he was a fierce competitor, famously pushing the pace in the 2012 Olympic 800m final to secure a fifth-place finish in a race that shattered world records. Off it, he became a vocal critic of the USATF and the IOC, advocating for athletes' rights to sponsorship and expression. After retiring, he channeled that same independent spirit into a successful YouTube channel, 'Nick Symmonds,' where he offers unfiltered commentary, training insights, and a direct line to the sport's debates, creating a media presence as distinctive as his racing tactics.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Nick was born in 1983, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Nick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1983
#1 Movie
Return of the Jedi
Best Picture
Terms of Endearment
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Nick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1983Born
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1988Started school
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1996Became a teenager
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Could drive
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2001Could vote
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2004Turned 21
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2013Turned 30
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 40
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 43 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Finished 5th in the 800m final at the 2012 London Olympics, setting a personal best of 1:42.95.
- Won a silver medal in the 800 meters at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.
- Won six U.S. national outdoor championships in the 800 meters.
- Won seven NCAA Division III individual national titles while at Willamette University.
- Built a YouTube channel with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, becoming a major independent voice in track and field media.
Did You Know?
He sold the sponsorship space on his left shoulder blade for $11,100 through an eBay auction in 2011 to protest USATF rules.
He is an avid outdoorsman and mountaineer who has summited Mount Kilimanjaro.
He owns and operates a craft distillery called 'Run Gum Distilling Co.' in Boise, Idaho.
He once raced and beat a horse over 100 meters for a TV segment.
“I'm not going to let a federation tell me who I can and cannot be sponsored by.”
