Jim Wailes, a Senior Consultant for Reveal Risk, is full of surprises. Upon meeting him, he’s a kind, mild-mannered man. However, you’d be pleasantly surprised to find out he has years of travel under his belt, has a strong sense of adventure, and is willing to try (almost) anything once.
When asked where he was from, he spoke of his experience growing up in the military, moving from one place to another through his adolescence. He spent many years living in Europe and was in Germany when the Berlin Wall came down. He was 12 years old.
Traveling through Europe and being around so much history helped him grow an appreciation for the past and the military lifestyle. He grew up following in his father’s footsteps, serving his country and community in the National Guard for eight years and in law enforcement for 20 years.
One of Jim’s many photos taken while traveling.
For him, it wasn’t enough to stay fit for the job – he really enjoyed being active. He went on to do what many people dream of, fear, or think impossible: participate in triathlons. He could do it all – swim, bike, run, you name it.
Jim is a self-described “shutterbug” who loves taking nature photos.
“I love training for triathlons. It’s very cathartic,” Jim said. It should come as no surprise, given that he swam competitively in high school and used to run recreationally. One of the many things he and his family bond over is their love for athleticism. His wife played softball, and their two children were excited to participate in any activity, whether basketball, cheer, swimming, or martial arts.
“I’m a try-anything-once kind of guy – except cliff diving. Probably won’t be doing that,” Jim shared. He seems to have passed on that same mentality to his children.
Though his involvement in his children’s activities has limited his capacity to do more triathlons, he still finds time to take beautiful photos and appreciate a good storm when one rolls around. Jim mentioned that he and his wife decided they wanted to go storm chasing once they become empty nesters. This idea was inspired by their shared love of storms and the show Storm Chasers, a hit reality show from 2007. Until then, you can find him at Reveal Risk helping clients achieve their cybersecurity goals.
