Employee Spotlight: Tony Burt

August 1, 2019

Fun Facts With Tony

What do you do in your spare time?
My wife and I have five kids. They are the joy of our lives. We also lead our church youth group. Our family loves Disney World and the Orlando area.  We make an annual pilgrimage every year for 2 weeks of fun and sun.

What are you most proud of?

I am incredibly proud of my family!

• My daughter Lindsay has a Youtube video with 2.4 million views!
• My son broke the Guinness Book of World Record for number of pull-ups with 40 lb weight!
• My wife of 28 years is a published author and conference speaker.
• My daughter Alexandra is a marketing director in Ohio soon to be married.
• She also has a thriving photography business and one of a handful Martha Stewart endorsed photographers in Kansas.
• My daughter Savanna and I competed on Fear Factor at Universal Studios and made it to the finals.  In the finals, we competed against each other and she won!  We both received T-shirts but hers says “Champion”.  She occasionally pokes fun at her “Old Dad” when she wears it “Hey, you have one of these but it doesn’t say ‘Champion’.”

What are your hobbies?

I’m passionate about my faith and my family. I love teaching the preschoolers at vacation Bible school every summer. I usually teach solo since not everyone is cut out to work with preschoolers. Children’s church and working with preschoolers was something that God just put on my heart.  Before I became a Christian, I would have never have considered it but God gave me a heart for it in my early Christian walk and I have been doing it since. Preschoolers are great – full of energy and no pretensions.  They are honest and generally (not always!) full of joy.

What is something you enjoyed as a kid?

Growing up, my passion was wrestling. Now, my nephews wrestle and I love watching them enjoy it too. Wrestling was a default in my family.  I wrestled 98 lbs my first 2 years in High School ending up at 112 lbs my Senior year.  I went to wrestling camps that, in terms of work outs, made Army Basic Training pale in comparison.  I enjoyed the challenge and the life lessons it taught me but one thing I don’t miss… fasting before meets or discovering you’re overweight by a pound or more with an hour to run it off!

What is something many people do not know?

I enjoy longboarding with my daughter, Avery. I started this hobby about 5 years ago when the kids in our youth group started bringing their longboards. One of them dared me to try and I have been enjoying it since.  I also thought it would be a fun way to rehab my leg (broken femur) –  And it worked!

What is one of your favorite quotes?

“Change is inevitable but growth is intentional.”