Tommy Nook on Resilience, Reinvention, and Pushing Limits

In Episode 31 of The Late Start Show, we sit down with Tommy Nook, US Class of 2017 alum, former two-time Boston University lacrosse captain, Project 25 marathoner, and founder of Half Hitch Pretzels. Tommy takes us back to a childhood spent just outside Cleveland, growing up in a competitive yet deeply formative household alongside his siblings, including a brother with special needs who shaped his perspective on patience, teamwork, and empathy. From early days in athletics, we follow the evolution of a kid who simply loved to compete into a high-level athlete navigating the pressures of performance, identity, and growth at University School. Along the way, he reflects on the teachers and coaches who pushed him, the lessons learned from not making varsity early on, and the moments that defined his understanding of what it means to be part of something bigger than himself.

From there, the episode shifts into a deeper exploration of resilience, leadership, and reinvention. Tommy opens up about his college experience at Boston University, where injuries forced him to redefine his role and ultimately shaped him into a leader, earning back-to-back captaincies even while sidelined. He reflects on the uncertainty of the COVID era, the challenge of leading through chaos, and the identity shift that comes with stepping away from sports. What follows is a story of rediscovery: from door-to-door sales in Florida to an ambitious goal of running 25 marathons in a year, pushing himself to new physical and mental limits. Out of that journey came an unexpected idea, one sparked by a simple post-race moment, that grew into Half Hitch Pretzels. At its core, Tommy returns to a powerful and personal philosophy: to be intentional with his time, to embrace discomfort, and to continuously pursue the best version of himself.

Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.