Tori West, a 28-year-old blockchain start-up owner, is set to make her Olympic debut for Australia in the heptathlon at the Paris Olympic Games this Thursday. Balancing her role as the founder of Equil Labs, a company that designs and produces apps to help athletes own their performance data as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) on the XRP Ledger, West is an exceptional figure in both the tech and sports worlds.
The Unique Journey of Tori West
West, the founder of Equil Labs, has seamlessly blended her passion for technology and athletics. Her company’s latest project, EQLX, aims to revolutionize how athletes, fans, and leagues manage performance data using blockchain technology. “I believe that every athlete should own a piece of the data they produce, and we can extract the value of sports data into something tangible and exchangeable through the blockchain,” West stated while training in Paris.
Bridging Technology and Sports
West’s innovative approach to combining blockchain technology with sports has garnered attention and respect. “People identify me as a bit of an anomaly in the space, with a different perspective on blockchain and sports tech, trying to build that bridge between the two worlds,” she says. This unique perspective is not just theoretical; West has been active in accelerator programs, speaks at crypto and blockchain conferences, and has a sponsorship deal with crypto exchange BTC Markets.
Rising Through Adversity
West’s journey to the Olympics has been far from straightforward. After winning the national championships in 2020 and facing COVID-19 lockdowns, she channeled her energy into developing her tech business. “The truth is my company took off via Covid. I had won the national championships in 2020, had a breakout year and thought I was on top of the world and going to Tokyo, but ended up locked out of my home state for months,” she explains.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
West’s entrepreneurial spirit dates back to her high school days when she dabbled in graphic design, which later led to web development work and phone apps. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, she taught herself how to code, diving into the blockchain space. “I learned on the job and did a lot of work for free. I built a portfolio and learned it’s very valuable to be a good communicator in this space,” she says.
Balancing Business and Athletics
Despite the challenges, West’s business success has enabled her to fund her athletic career. “There’s a huge public perception that athletes good enough to compete in the Olympics are paid well. But I’m not in any funding programs, I have had to pay my own way when competing, and I’m lucky that my company has done well enough to be able to do that,” she reveals.
West’s commitment to her sport and her business is evident. “Athletics is a priority; my health and wellness have to be good. But the other thing I have figured out is I can’t be completely consumed by athletics. The athletic bubble of hype is not reality; I still have bills to pay and the responsibility of having my company acts as a reality check. I still have to run the business and I have people working for me,” she notes.
Olympic Dreams
West’s athletic career began in Townsville, where she was spotted in high school by her first coach, Gary Cairns. Although she won a national javelin title at 16, she had no grand ambitions in sport until she was convinced to try the heptathlon in 2017. Despite missing selection for Tokyo and the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games, West has persevered, demonstrating her resilience and dedication.
Conclusion
As Tori West prepares to compete in the heptathlon at the Paris Olympics, she embodies the spirit of innovation and determination. Balancing a burgeoning tech start-up and an elite athletic career, West is a testament to what can be achieved through passion, hard work, and a forward-thinking approach. Her story is not just about athletic achievement but also about breaking barriers and redefining possibilities in both sports and technology.
