Bryson DeChambeau, PGA Tour Golfer
Known as the “mad scientist” of the PGA Tour, Bryson DeChambeau is a physics graduate from Southern Methodist University who also happens to be one of only four golfers in history to win the NCAA Division I championship, the U.S. Amateur and three PGA Tour events before turning 25 (Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are the others). DeChambeau is cerebral about the biomechanics of his swing and, well, just about everything else in his sport, so much so that he motivated Flightscope to add a new Environmental Optimizer function to its X3 launch monitor. DeChambeau, who is ranked No. 12 in the world, has previously partnered with Microsoft to harness their Azure cloud-based AI to determine optimal grip pressure on his clubs and is known to use Neuropeak Pro’s EEG unit for brain training.
Chiquita Evans, Warriors Gaming
Of the 74 players to hear their name called during the 2019 NBA 2K League draft, Chiquita Evans was the one to make history. Taken with the 56th overall pick by Warriors Gaming, she became the first woman to be drafted into the league. Evans had previously failed to make it past the combine stage to qualify for the 2018 draft. During those online tournaments, fellow 2K players wouldn’t pass her the ball after hearing her voice on the gaming headsets. “As soon as I would get on the mic, everybody would be like, ‘It’s a girl.’ And I would continuously say, ‘I’m open! I’m open!’ and I would never receive the ball,” Evans told The Undefeated. Evans, who played college basketball at Kentucky State University, appeared in four games as a reserve player for Warriors Gaming in her first season, averaging five points and four rebounds per game.
Adam Ottavino, New York Yankees RHP
Reliever Adam Ottavino built his own high-tech lab in a Harlem storefront a few offseasons ago to reinvent himself as a pitcher. The centerpiece technology was the Edgertronic camera, which he credits for his big breakthrough in helping answer the “why” of pitching (the high-speed footage offered details on how pitches left his fingertips). After joining the Yankees as a free agent, Ottavino helped popularize the cameras with his new team. His 1.90 ERA in 2019 was the best of his career and ranked third in MLB among all pitchers who threw at least 65 innings. He also held hitters to an 85.1-mph average exit velocity when making contact, putting him in the top 3% of the league.
Daniel Romanchuk, Marathon Champion
Daniel Romanchuk became the first American to win the men’s wheelchair division at the New York City Marathon in 2018, and the 21-year-old defended his title in 2019 in 1 hour, 37 minutes and 24 seconds. Earlier this year, he also became the youngest wheelchair champion in the history the Boston Marathon (and he also won at Chicago and London). The Paralympian is now shifting his focus to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics, which he has already qualified for. Romanchuk, who was born with a birth defect called spina bifida, has a large wingspan—80 inches, wider than swimming icon Michael Phelps’s—that he leverages to propel himself to victory. He uses a hybrid carbon fiber/aluminum racing chair from Top End, and continually participates in the development and evolution of the product by providing feedback on the performance of different configurations and testing various wheel combinations. His indoor winter training is done on a wheelchair racing roller system that’s connected to a specially modified Wahoo KICKR that allows an iPad to control the resistance of the drum to simulate hill climbing. In the gym, he uses an accelerometer on his arms while bench pressing to monitor the explosiveness of his lifts. On the road or track, he uses GPS-based speed and arm-based heart-rate monitoring. Romanchuk is taking classes at Parkland Community College in Champaign, Ill., to pursue a degree in engineering, a career track is fueled by his lifelong interest in tinkering with mechanical objects. He used to disassemble and reassemble toasters for fun as a kid, and now he’s known to take apart and reassemble his wheelchair. He also uses 3D-printed gloves for racing, which he covers with suede and rubber for better traction.
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks QB
While establishing himself as one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, Russell Wilson has moonlighted as a leading investor in the sports tech space. He backed helmet manufacturer VICIS, whose Zero1 model has ranked as the safest helmet over the past three years in annual helmet safety tests performed by the NFL and the NFLPA. VICIS also collaborated with ActionStreamer to help Wilson become a pioneer of helmet camera usage, with his helmet being affixed with a 180-degree camera to give fans on Fox Sports and YouTube a chance to see from his viewpoint. Wilson also co-founded TraceMe, a tech startup that developed a mobile app for connecting fans with their favorite athletes and celebrities. TraceMe then developed Tally, a free-to-play sports prediction app that has powered contests for the Los Angeles Rams and St. Louis Blues. In October, Nike acquired TraceMe/Tally to help boost its own content platforms. Wilson is also one of a select few athletes who can claim to be an active player and team owner, as he bought a stake in MLS club Seattle Sounders this year.
