Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriel Nunez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Gabriel. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Born and raised in El Paso, Texas I was involved in almost every traditional sport available to me. This early experience in team sports really drove me to become who I am today. In High school, my love for basketball blossomed while my need to feed the creative side turned into a passion for break-dancing and Martial Arts Tricking. After moving to Las Cruces, NM for college I quickly realized my desire was to explore all types of movement. Having graduated with a Bachelors degree in criminal justice, all I could think about was those Jackie Chan movies I grew up watching, so I decided to put one career on hold in order to chase a new possibility of becoming a Hollywood Stuntman.
In 2007 my now wife and I moved to Los Angeles California where I quickly began learning the ropes of the industry while pushing my Freerunning skills to new heights. With a team of very driven friends by my side, I was able to see success in two worlds at the same time. My first feature film was Adam Sandler’s You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, and that same year I was competing in Vienna at the first-ever Red Bull Art of Motion. 2008 saw me win the World Championships in London followed up by an incredible job as a stunt performer on Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables. Bouncing between stunt jobs and competitions became a way of life for a while but my stunt career truly blossomed when I began doubling Colin Farrell on Total Recall. Since then I’ve double for Taylor Lautner, Clifton Collins jr., and performed a large variety of stunts ranging from fights and falls to wirework and parkour on films such as Battleship, Ted, After Earth, 300: Rise of an Empire, Ridiculous Six, Bad Boys 3 and many more.
In 2014 I stepped into the role of CEO to meet the changing needs of Tempest and commit to a more LA-based career in stunts. Although my stunt career took a bit of a hit initially, being in Los Angeles more consistently allowed me to build a team of athletes and partners that are hyper-focused on growing the sport and spreading the awareness of the TMPST brand. Plus, I’ve been able to raise my now four-year-old daughter Naya and remain heavily involved in her childhood, which needless to say, is a huge win for me. As Tempest continues its growth trend we’ve since added a fourth Tempest Academy location in Southlake Texas and have World Champion athletes repping TMPST proudly. For every leap we’ve taken forward there are definitely setbacks that occur and provide me the clarity needed to course-correct along the way. Through all of the ups and downs, I remain excited to work with a truly driven team to overcome these obstacles and continue taking things to the next level! 2020 is already looking to be an exciting year for TMPST.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Putting yourself out there in order to pioneer a sport has been no easy task. Along with the many bumps and bruises we take as athletes and stunt performers, the world of business has presented heavy challenges along the way. With a growing number of employees, four gyms in three different cities, an international pro team, apparel/shoe lines, and a media house, we have had to overcome many of the struggles that come along with rapid business growth and personnel management.
For me personally, it has been a process of learning how to balance the needs and desires of individuals and aligning them with the goals of the company, all while keeping my own individual needs and desires fulfilled. When successful I truly begin to see our full potential and our online audience and in-gym members reap the full benefits of our sport because they identify with our brand as well as what it stands for.
Please tell us about Tempest Freerunning.
Following a dominating showing at the first-ever Red Bull Art of Motion in Vienna (2007), along with the release of the game-changing video ‘I FREERUN LA’, Tempest began pushing the Parkour/Freerunning culture by challenging the norm with a LIVE FREE RUN WILD attitude. As Tempest has grown into a vibrant young action sports company it stays dedicated to the growth and spread of Freerunning. Now the sport can be seen in most major cities, all over the internet, and inaction films with Tempest Pros doubling characters in movies such as Avengers, Justice League, Ghostbusters, X-Men, and in video games like Assassin’s Creed and Uncharted.
In 2011 Tempest opened the first of its groundbreaking Tempest Freerunning Academies in LA. With the most decorated Pro team in the world, some of the most-watched freerunning videos of all time, and four Tempest Freerunning Academy locations the team set their eyes on perfecting the only thing a free runner really needs. 2014 saw the release of the now-iconic NLS-1 shoe. Designed specifically for the sport, it elevated Freerunning to the next level and led to the development of the first signature pro model shoe in the game, The LF-1 (La Flairs).
Tempest continues to drive the sport of freerunning with its sponsored pro athletes, innovative Academies, trendsetting apparel, new shoes, and next-level media.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
At some point in history, some intelligent human beings (I have no idea who) said: “luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” I feel like I am lucky in every situation that I am prepared for. When I am unprepared life tends to slap me with a reality check that teaches me I should’ve prepared better. Ha
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tempestfreerunning.com & www.tempestacademy.com
- Phone: 818 7170525
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @tempestfreerunning @tmpstacademy
- Facebook: facebook.com/tempestfreerunning.com
- Twitter: @teamtempest
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