Brett Williamson is a humble and talented enthusiast with more stories than could possibly fit in this spotlight- from a week long camping trip that turned into a 2 year adventure around several states, to moving regularly growing up all over the United States. As someone who brings passion and excitement to all new endeavors he decides to pursue, it is no surprise he has become a staple of the community, spreading that same energy and enthusiasm to all the throwers with whom he has interacted. 

Like most, Brett's early life experiences, especially those he shared with his mother- to whom he attributes most of the great things about himself- have had a substantial influence on his many hobbies and skills as well as his worldview. As a child Brett would help his mother developing photographs in a darkroom for her photography job, and while this did not spark his interest at the time, he developed his own interest in photography and videography later in life which, at least in part, was connected to the nostalgia of those formative years. His interest in knowing how things worked, which would manifest as a side business fixing up old Xboxes, and developing into IT skills to start a career with later in life, started at a young age as well. Unable to get him a new computer of his own, Brett's mom and uncle gathered all the necessary parts for a computer, and Brett figured out how to build his own, leading partially to his ability to creatively problem solve.

Brett's modest upbringing, combined with multiple moves throughout his childhood, taught him the value of people and relationships and contributed to his tendency to bounce from hobby to hobby, interest to interest, business to business. Through all these varying enterprises and hobbies in which Brett has become invested over the years, axe throwing has stuck around the longest. Brett attributes this to the people, not just those in the sport- who are some of the greatest humans you'll ever meet- but the very focus of the industry itself. All Brett's MANY other business pursuits (snow removal, IT, motorcycle repair, rental properties, etc.) focus on a 'need' or service people require; axe throwing is focused on building a positive experience, which Brett and Brian have been able to do extremely well over at 608 Axe throwing. This passion project started as a way to stay competitive without driving hours to nearby axe houses and has since become one of the most visited axe houses, earning the Community Choice Award in 2022, and, according to Brett, was probably the reason Mark Tishko won the US Open after stopping in for some pre-tournament practice. 

Like most of his previous pursuits, when Brett discovered axe-throwing, he was sucked in. He started throwing in just rec leagues before attending the Arnold in 2020, where he was in awe of the great throwers he was able to see and meet (nervously) for the first time. He has since been humbled by the incredible humanity present among these top throwers, and started his own podcast partly because such content did not exist when he went eagerly searching for it, and party to show the humanity of these individuals, so that all newer throwers can gain some confidence in approaching and conversing with them. While he may have been nervous about meeting the Gustins and Bradleys of the sport early on, he has proven himself a serious competitor as well, taking 3rd in Big Axe at the inaugural ThrOHIO and coming within 1 throw of the first perfect knife game.

Beyond his desire for competition and drive to be a top competitor whom people are worried to face, the relationships he has formed in the community, combined with the wanderlust instilled in him by way of his many childhood moves, are the main reasons he continues to travel so much and compete in tournaments. Brett also enjoys getting to 'be a kid' in many of the ways he was not earlier in his life, and instills that love of life and adventure in his 2 daughters at home in Wisconsin. Of all the places he has lived, Brett considers this the best, and doesn't imagine leaving. The 'midwest nice' fits in with approach to life in service to others, and the close proximity to his mother allows his two daughters to have the same positive influences he did at their age (and she is also a great help with them and his two dogs: Carl and Richard) while he is traveling. 

Although Brett did jokingly tell me that he wants people to know nothing about him, he was also adamant that people should definitely come say hi to him, or any other thrower with whom they are interested in having a conversation. This is, first and foremost, a community drawn to the events for fun and passion, and you will never be an imposition in seeking to be a part of it.