While late November is the point in the year when the holiday season is kicked off, it鈥檚 also primetime college basketball season for Nadi Carey.
Carey, a Tucsonan and former Pima College women鈥檚 basketball standout, is an NCAA Division I basketball referee and travels around the eight Western states that have Big Sky Conference schools.
Between October and March, Carey is booked.
But Carey鈥檚 aunt, Latoya McCord, watched the first season of 鈥淭he Titan Games鈥 prior and formed an idea. That TV show on NBC, founded by Dwayne 鈥淭he Rock鈥 Johnson, features top amateur athletes 鈥 male and female 鈥 competing against each other in a number of exercises and obstacle courses for $100,000.
鈥溾榃ell, I was thinking you should go on that show.鈥 I started laughing,鈥 Carey said of the conversation with her aunt.
People are also reading…
Carey thought the suggestion was outlandish. Remember, this was well before the novel coronavirus stretched overseas and plagued the U.S. so the sports world hadn鈥檛 abruptly ended yet. Carey had an overloaded schedule and hadn鈥檛 competed in an organized setting since her college basketball playing days at NCAA Division II Texas Permian Basin in 2013.
Plus, she hadn鈥檛 power-lifted, so training before filming the second season of 鈥淭he Titan Games鈥 didn鈥檛 seem plausible.
鈥淭wo months later, I got an email from NBC producers and they鈥檙e like, 鈥榃e got your application and all your information. We love you and want to do a phone interview,鈥欌 She said. 鈥淐ome to find out, she put in an application for me and I had no idea.鈥
Carey was an athlete and basketball star her entire life. Before leading Pima College to the NJCAA championship, she won a state championship at Canyon del Oro High School. Carey had been in a competitive setting on a weekly basis during the college basketball season, but officiating has a different mindset, which is why she hesitated.
鈥淚 had a little bit of doubt in myself. When you haven鈥檛 competed in a while, you start to doubt yourself,鈥 Carey said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e like, 鈥楧o I still got it? Is this going to work?鈥 Luckily, I have family members and a trainer to motivate me.
鈥淢y mom, my grandma, my aunt, my dad, my brothers and sister and my trainer were like, 鈥楬ey look, this is a once in a lifetime chance. Even if you lose, who cares? There were hundreds of thousands of people who applied for this show and they want you to come, they want to see you and they love you.
鈥淭hey fell in love with your story so who cares if you win? Who cares if you lose? This is an opportunity that 1% of this world has and you鈥檙e that 1%.鈥 I didn鈥檛 even think of it like that. It鈥檚 like they got into a group message, because they all were saying the same thing.鈥
Challenge accepted.
With just over a month until Carey flew out to Los Angeles for the 60-person combine, she turned to her personal trainer Tim Adams for guidance. For six days a week, Carey strength-trained in Adams鈥 garage in preparation for Season 2.
At the combine, Carey completed a number of tests, including hanging from a bar, a three-minute push-up challenge, how long she could run on a treadmill with the speed and incline of the machine maximized and powerlifting exercises. Carey鈥檚 all-time best deadlift was 460 pounds, but she recorded 420 at the combine.
鈥淎 week later I got a phone call 鈥 鈥楬ey, we love you. You did well at the combine and we want you to be a Titan,鈥欌 Carey said.
Carey was selected to be one of 36 contestants to compete on the show. The other Titans, which also included Tucson native and Mountain View High School graduate Robbie Rodriguez, have varying occupations ranging from middle school social studies teacher, Cirque Du Soleil performer, security officer, winemaker, strength coach and college basketball referee, which is Carey. Rodriguez currently works as a nurse in Miami.
Season 2 of 鈥淭he Titan Games,鈥 which premieres on Monday at 5 p.m. on Channel 4, added a twist: professional athletes will also compete against the contestants.
The list of pros include boxer Claressa Shields, former NFL offensive lineman Joe Thomas, ex-Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, stuntwoman Jessie Graff, snowboarder Hannah Teter and former UFC fighter Tyron Woodley.
If a pro athlete wins the $100,000, the money will be donated to charity.
Competing against pros isn鈥檛 foreign to Carey. Her entire life, she 鈥渨as always the one who set the example and led by example鈥 as the older sister with three younger siblings. Her brother Elijah and sister Evasia are the youngest of the Carey bunch. The second-oldest sibling in the Carey household? Her brother Ka鈥橠eem, former Chicago Bear and All-American running back for the 蜜聊直播 蜜聊直播, who is currently under contract with the CFL鈥檚 Calgary Stampeders.
鈥淲e鈥檝e always competed ever since we were little. 鈥 She always pushed me to be who I was,鈥 Ka鈥橠eem said.
The sport in which Ka鈥橠eem and Nadi battled against each other the most was basketball.
鈥淏asketball was me and Nadi鈥檚 thing. I beat her one time my whole entire life and we had to have played at least over 100 times,鈥 Ka鈥橠eem said.
There was only one rule in their basketball bouts: they couldn鈥檛 play 1-on-1 until the brutal 蜜聊直播 heat cooled off in the evening.
鈥淪he set it straight. I would have to play her two times that day. I had to wait all day until I played my big sister and I would always say, 鈥業鈥檓 going to beat her today,鈥欌 he said. 鈥淪he gave me two chances. 鈥業f you don鈥檛 get it in those two chances then you better wait for the next sun to go down.鈥欌
The younger Carey didn鈥檛 beat his older sister until he was 16. Looking back, those years for Ka鈥橠eem to try to beat his sister at their go-to sport was what drove him to excel in athletics.
鈥淚t all started with Nadi. I just wanted to be a winner like her at the end of the day,鈥 he said.
The competitive and win-at-all-costs mindset developed studious habits such as watching film of opponents to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses and develop a game plan. Unfortunately for Carey, she didn鈥檛 know about who she was competing against in 鈥淭he Titan Games鈥 until the night before and was informed about the competition just before it started.
鈥淭hat was the toughest challenge for me, because I didn鈥檛 know how to prepare,鈥 Nadi said.
Did she win? Did she lose? The world will have to find out starting Monday.
鈥淚 kind of felt like a small fish in a big pond, because there were a couple of CrossFitters that compete and do this for a living and then there鈥檚 little Nadi, who鈥檚 a referee and basketball player,鈥 Carey said.
鈥淚t felt like a bigger arena than what I was supposed to be in. But once I got there, I realized, 鈥業鈥檓 supposed to be here. This is where I鈥檓 supposed to be. 鈥 I just feel blessed to be the 1% of people that get to be on 鈥楾he Titan Games.鈥 Win or lose, it was an awesome experience and I got to meet a lot of great people. I would compete again.鈥
All thanks to Aunt Latoya.
Spring Stars: Some of Southern 蜜聊直播's best high school athletes, 2019-2020
Rachael Fox
Sahuarita High School senior Rachael Fox, posing for a photo, April 18, 2020, Sahuarita, Ariz. She maintained a winning record for all four years of high school. Before school and sports were cancelled in March, Fox was the Mustangs' top player with an undefeated record.
Dakota Crabtree
Academy of Tucson's Dakota Crabtree, posing for a photo, April 16, 2020, Tucson, Ariz., In four years at AOT, 18-year-old Crabtree has managed to break several school records, starting with the long jump. He set the school record one during the opening meet of his sophomore season, and has gone onto break it every year since.
Leo and Ivan Villa
Leo Villa, left, and twin brother Ivan, senior baseball players at Walden Grove High School in Sahuarita. Ivan Villa is hoping to attend the University of 蜜聊直播 next year and major in civil engineering. Leo hopes to major in architectural engineering, academics could win out when it comes time to make the choice.
Isabel Cordova
Track and Field senior at Empire High school Isabel Cordova poses for a portrait at Empire High School, 10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way, in Tucson, Ariz., on April 21, 2020. Last year, she took second place in state for javelin (her favorite event) with a throwing distance of nearly 115 feet.
Refugio "Kito" Del Cid
Baseball senior at Desert View High school Refugio "Kito" Del Cid poses for a portrait at Jacobs Park, 3300 N. Fairview Ave., in Tucson, Ariz., on April 21, 2020. With the quarantine in effect, Del Cid's been pitching and hitting ground balls against the wall in his back yard in an effort to stay in playing shape and keep baseball alive in his life. He says his teammates and this season鈥 even in its shortened state鈥 were his favorite part of high school.
Cheyenne Hudson and Laneya Wright
Marana softball players Cheyenne Hudson (pitcher and shortstop) and Laneya Wright (centerfielder) stand for a portrait at Marana Heritage River Park, on April 24, 2020. Laneya Wright and Cheyenne Hudson started playing softball on the same club team a decade ago as little girls, growing up together on the fields.
Ethan Lee
Rincon/University High School junior tennis player Ethan Lee on April 26, 2020. A member of Rincon's tennis team for the past three years, Lee was state champion last year for men's singles, after taking the runner-up spot his freshman year. Always one for a challenge, Lee was considering pursuing a state championship in doubles tennis this spring, before the season was cut short.
Kaitlyn Rendon
Flowing Wells High School junior Kaitlyn Rendon at Jacobs Park in Tucson, Ariz., on April 26, 2020. Rendon plays on FWHS's soccer, track and field and cross country teams as well as on FWHS ROTC rifle team. She has a 3.9 unweighted GPA and is ranked 10th in her class. She's also president of her school's Interact Club, and a member of several others, including National Honor Society.
Preston Gibbons
Mountain View High School senior volleyball outside hitter Preston Gibbons on May 1, 2020. Gibbons is ranked seventh in his class at Mountain View and will be attending the University of 蜜聊直播 in the fall.
Alyssa Lopez
Canyon del Oro High School senior Alyssa Lopez, shown on April 29, 2020, was the school's No.1 tennis player. Several months ago, Lopez started working as a gymnastics coach for kids at Heart and Soul Gymnastics. While the gym is closed because of COVID-19, Lopez has been creating at-home workout videos for the kids.
Kristiana Watson
Amphitheater High School senior Kristiana Watson says the things she misses most about the season cancellation are losing a chance to play with her cousin and her final year of being coached by her mother on the Panthers鈥 softball team.
Jesse Avina
Sierra Vista Buena High School javelin thrower Jesse Avina is planning to join the Air Force after he earns his four-year degree. He鈥檒l start this fall by enrolling at Paradise Valley Community College. He will be on the Paradise Valley track and field team.
Amya Legarra
Canyon del Oro senior pitcher Amya Legarra was 8-0 with a 2.39 ERA and three complete games when the season was halted. She plans to move to Logan, Utah, this summer, and will soon be majoring in human movement science and playing softball for Utah State University.
Candice Pocase
Santa Rita High School junior track athlete Candice Pocase on April 24, 2020. "In my 20 years of coaching, Candice is one of the most hardworking, dedicated, coachable and fun athletes that I have had the honor to coach," said Luis Blanco, who is also Pocase's track coach. "The words 'no' and 'can't' are not in her athletic vocabulary.
Emily Flowers
Emily Flowers, a sophomore at Catalina Foothills High School, won a state championship last year and hopes to play at a Division I school someday. Before the coronavirus hit, Flowers was training six days a week at the Smith-Perry Tennis Academy and an academy run by UA tennis coaches. She鈥檚 trying to ensure that her game is impacted as little as possible by the change in routine.
Briana Garcilazo
Briana Garcilazo, a senior at Rio Rico High School. Softball is something of a family tradition, as both of her sisters also play. Garcilazo, a pitcher, first baseman and outfielder on Rio Rico鈥檚 team, will be continuing her career in college, signing on to play with Mesa Community College next year.
Leo Felix
Leo Felix, senior at Douglas High School, poses for a portrait at 15th Street Park, E. 15th st., in Douglas, Ariz., on May 5, 2020. Felix, outfielder for the Douglas High School Baseball team, is graduating in the top 10% of his class and plans to continue his baseball career in college. "I'm definitely going to try to play somewhere, and I'm going to continue my studies in college," said Felix, adding that he plans to major in business.
Abigail Russell
Salpointe Catholic鈥檚 Abigail Russell will next compete for the UA beach volleyball team. She also played the indoor version for the Lancers. When Russell was 10, she discovered volleyball and fell in love. Her brief flirtation with track, dancing and everything else was over.
061321-tuc-spt-springstars-p4
Emmanuel Corral, 18, is looking forward to running for Pima College in the fall.
Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage
Softball player Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage poses for a portrait at Salpointe Catholic High School on May 7, 2020. 蜜聊直播鈥檚 2019 All State Catcher and Defensive Player of the Year, Aguilar-Beaucage plans to continue her softball career at Grand Canyon University like her older sister.
Ryan Zuniga
Ryan Zuniga is hoping to follow his cousin鈥檚 footsteps and earn a college scholarship. Keith Zuniga played at Bethune-Cookman and was a 35th-round selection of the Miami Marlins, though he did not sign.
Shelby Thompson
Softball player Shelby Thompson of Ironwood Ridge High School on May 12, 2020.聽
"Shelby... took giant steps from a freshman year, when she pitched less than 10 innings, to her senior year when was expecting to pitch in her third straight State Championship game," said softball coach David Martinez. "Shelby聽worked extremely hard on improving her whole person, from her mental toughness to her physical strength. Shelby聽is our leader and has been incredible in that role."
Gabrianna Gonzalez
Gabrianna Gonzalez, 18, is a discus thrower on the track and field team at Cholla High School. She plans to attend the University of 蜜聊直播 in the Fall. May 14, 2020.聽
Gonzalez is one of Cholla's few three-sport female athletes. She also competed in volleyball and basketball.
Of the three sports, track is her favorite. So much so that she passed up on the opportunity to graduate early in order to make a run at state.
061321-tuc-spt-springstars-p7
Former Sabino High School standout Sydney Gray played at Nebraska as a true freshman before suffering a knee injury that required surgery. She has been rehabbing daily ever since.
Bryan Cruz
Bryan Cruz joined the Amphitheater High School volleyball team in 2018 after moving back to Tucson from Cucurpe, Sonora.
鈥淔irst and foremost, he is a true student-athlete,鈥 said Amphi volleyball coach Mike Frederick, who believes Cruz is one of the best volleyball players in the region. 鈥淗e may be the most underappreciated player in the city. 鈥 But to us, he is everything. Not only is he our leader on the court but off the court as well.鈥
Angel Addleman
Senior basketball and track and field athlete Angel Addleman at Palo Verde High School, 1302 S. Avenida Vega, in Tucson, Ariz. on May 19, 2020. Addleman will play basketball at Pima Community College.
With the track season halted early and Addleman's brief musical career behind her 鈥 she spent two years performing in the folk group Copper Wren with her sisters and some friends 鈥 Addleman found herself with some time to fill during the quarantine. But unlike some athletes who require specialty equipment or teammates to train, Addleman was able to wing it.
Blaise Biringer
Blaise Biringer, 18, on the softball field at Cienega High School on May 11, 2020. Biringer plans to attend the University of Mississippi on a softball scholarship.
Prior to the shutdown, Biringer was selected to play for the Mexican National team this summer in the inaugural Triple Crown International Challenge. She was also selected by Premier Gold Fastpitch to represent the Mountain Region as an All-American (on a roster that includes fellow Spring Stars Anjolle Aguilar-Beaucage, Sydney Gray, Amya Legarra, Carlie Scupin and Kristiana Watson.)
Cameron Fimbres
Cameron Fimbres, Pueblo High School senior volleyball player, at Silverbell Crossroads Park, on May 15, 2020. Fimbres will be going to McKendree University in southern Illinois.
"My favorite memory of high school would have to be volleyball," Fimbres said. "It's either my escape from stress and stuff or where I could show off to friends, but sophomore year was also very fun. I got to play with my brother before he graduated and it was probably my team's best year."
Gerardo Grijalva
Gerardo Grijalva, 17, plays pitcher and first base for the Sunnyside High School baseball team. He will be returning to Sunnyside in the Fall as a senior.
While Grijalva would love to play college in baseball after he graduates, preferably at University of 蜜聊直播 or UCLA, he's also focused on his future career as a robotic engineer.
"I heard that robotic engineering has a lot of math in it, and most people don鈥檛 like math, but that鈥檚 one of my best subjects in school," Grijalva said. "Right now, really don鈥檛 have an idea of where I might go, but I for sure know that I really want to play baseball in college at the next level."
