Wesley Andrews got into mountain biking, frankly, out of necessity.

In lieu of having a car at age 16, the Long Island native purchased a “box store” bike that took him wherever he needed to go. After getting a job and exploring the Tyler area, he learned that “people around here have mountain bike trails.” So he upgraded his ride to a Giant 29-er Mountain Bike, hit the trails, and hasn’t looked back since.

“Bikes have always been a part of my life. Everyone in my neighborhood had one growing up. We were out there doing wheelies or skidding in the dirt. I’ve got plenty of scars to show for it,” Wesley said.

For those who’ve never ventured onto the off-road single track, mountain biking takes a lot of energy. According to the National Library of Medicine: “More than 80% of ride time is spent above the lactate threshold. This very high exercise intensity is related to the fast starting phase of the race; the several climbs, forcing off-road cyclists to expend most of their effort going against gravity; greater rolling resistance; and the isometric contractions of arm and leg muscles necessary for bike handling and stabilization.”

Wesley Andrews has energy. Lots of it. Ask him where it comes from, and he’ll shrug his shoulders. For all he knows, it’s innate, but it doesn’t matter where it comes from. He uses it to his advantage.

“Wesley has been a very intricate part of operations here in the Tyler warehouse,” East Texas Warehouse Supervisor Michael Snow said. “Wesley sees an issue and he will take it head on without anyone having to ask and without complaint.”

This parts specialist in East Texas brings his energy to the trails and the warehouse. He uses it to execute receiving/shipping, equipment management, pull parts,  for eAuto site management, and so much more. He uses it to volunteer at his church, to offer his services to anyone in need, and to deliver more than is expected seemingly everywhere he goes.

Energy to Build Consistency (and Confidence).

It happened years ago, but he remembers it like it was yesterday. On nearby Faulkner Park Trail, there’s one segment that includes an extremely steep drop into a hole that you have to immediately pedal out of. On his first few rides, he’d simply get off his bike and walk down. Eventually, he tried it, again and again, slow and steady.

“And then on another ride, another biker approached and told me ‘You’ve got to just lean back and just push into it,’” Wesley recalls. “So that’s what I did. That helped build my confidence. Down I went and I thought to myself, ‘This isn’t too bad.’ The next time, I didn’t even think about it. I just went.”

The advice given was great. But it was his constancy in taking on that segment over and over that helped build his confidence on the trail.

Energy to Help Others.

In a previous job, Wesley and a coworker were headed back to the shop when they came across a car with its hazards on in the middle lane.

“I’m talking to my coworker, saying ‘Hey, let’s get out and help them get this to the parking lot.' The driver was extremely frightened, so we reassured her and helped push the car into a safe spot. That’s happened a number of times that I can remember,” Wesley said.

The propensity to help others carries over to Harvest Time Church, where he volunteers to run the media for the congregation (or, as he puts it, ‘whatever they need me to do'). It happens at Datamax, too. If there’s something that needs to be done, he just does it – whether it’s a simple task like taking out the trash on his way to the warehouse, or taking the time to gain expertise inside eAutomate.

Energy to Focus on the Finish Line.

Successful mountain bikers understand the need to embrace the fear… and then to let go! To push the boundaries and turn their mental focus to the finish line.

Wesley has an intense “want” to see everything to the finish. It’s true on the trail, where the next challenging segment on the bike serves as his next opportunity to overcome. It’s true at the office, where he says realizing the importance of tasks, prioritizing, and honing in on time management help him maximize what he can get done on any given day.

“Whatever it is. No matter how long it takes. I want to finish it. I guess I’ve always had that determination to see it through,” Wesley said.

Energy that’s Infectious.

Here’s the funny thing about energy. It’s infectious.

“His energy for going above and beyond pushes the whole team, including myself, to be as proactive we all can be,” Michael said. “His positive attitude and outlook on everything is definitely a boost.  I like to reference things to football.  With that being said, I see Wesley as that running back, knowing that if I just give him just enough room, he will take the ball all the way to the finish.  He Wins !! We All Win !! is his attitude.”