Courtesy of Taylor Scott

Taylor Scott embraces her boyfriend Derik Scott at the Rose Bowl on the Tuesday before the premiere of “The Titan Games.” They both agree that their experience with “The Titan Games” has been life-changing. “Being in such a crazy atmosphere with Dwayne Johnson himself and 64 athletically gifted competitors was humbling,” T. Scott said. “The people Derik was surrounded by were such amazing humans. They have so much talent and so many things that could have or even did alter their paths, yet they found how to switch gears and make the most out of their lives through the gym and working out.”

After attending Lindenwood University for two and a half years, alumna Taylor Scott decided to leave behind her plans to attend Goldfarb School of Nursing to pursue a career in personal training in Los Angeles with her boyfriend Derik Scott.

“We picked up and moved with three weeks notice. I have been personal training and attending Santa Monica College since moving [to California] in June of 2018. I am currently working towards my [certification as a] Registered Nurse (RN) and plan on getting a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) afterward,” Taylor said.

For Taylor moving to California was a way for her to start fresh at the other side of the country.

“Moving out to California was not easy. We moved away from our families and friends, I gave up going to a great nursing school and we really tested our relationship, but the experience has been unreal. We get to surf and snowboard every day, change people’s lives daily through personal training and get to spend every day with amazing people. Change is super uncomfortable, but I’ve learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” Taylor said. “I am extremely outgoing and determined here in California and I plan on continuing to be the best version of myself that I can be.”

Her high school career is not something she is proud of, but Taylor was able to learn and grow from her experience at West.

“I had teachers and staff care so much about me that I learned that the path I was on was not the path I wanted to continue on,” Taylor said. “I also learned how to study hard and put in the work to achieve my goals. While playing softball and cheering at West, I learned how to manage my time, workout hard and just put my head down and grind.”

Currently, Taylor is providing support for Derik who is participating in the new series “The Titan Games”, where contestants work alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and compete in tests of strength, endurance and mental fortitude. 

“[Derik has] been prepared for this his whole life. I just show him that I love him and will support him through anything. Derik and I strive to be the best versions of ourselves as possible and, I believe, that mentality really helps us prepare for anything and everything,” Taylor said. “We support each other, love each other and learn from each other every single day and ‘The Titan Games” experience proved just that.”

Having the opportunity to be in the stands to cheer on someone she loves was one of the best experiences of Taylor’s life.

“I loved being able to support someone who works so hard to be the best version of himself every single day. Derik is the most deserving person because he is intelligent, hardworking and he gives so much to the people he loves, so it was easy to support someone like that,” Taylor said. “His performance on the show inspired me to do that much better. He taught me that no matter what is thrown my way, I can overcome it. It’s all about the mindset and working to be one percent better every single day.”