Chester Tripp III, nicknamed "Butch" by his family, was born in Wauseon, Ohio to Chester (Jr.) and Patricia Tripp. His parents moved to Michigan shortly after his birth, where he would go on to be the first of six children.
Despite the hardships he faced, Chester's family was forced to break up and he was sent into foster homes at the age of four. He would spend the next thirteen years in and out of foster care, enduring abusive situations in several of his foster homes as well as from his first step mother.
Chester attended several different schools, ultimately graduating from Addison High in Addison, Michigan. During his teenage years, he developed a passion for sports, becoming the star running back on his football team and a two-time Toledo Golden Glove Middleweight Boxing Champion.
After losing a close boxing match, Chester turned his attention to playing pool for money. It was during this time that he began to develop his skills as a stuntman, taking risks and pushing himself to the limit.
As a teenager, Chester was known for his daredevil antics, including driving on frozen lakes, jumping out of barn lofts, and walking on railings of tall bridges. He even attempted to jump his mini-bike over small objects and once tried to jump across a two-lane road, but was struck by a car traveling at 50 miles per hour and nearly lost his life.
Chester began his formal stunt training in 1987 and moved to Los Angeles in 1991 to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He auditioned for the TV show "Gladiators" and qualified 137th in the nation out of approximately 10,000 contestants.
After over twenty years in the business, Chester is a seasoned stunt professional with experience in a wide range of stunt work, including coordinating. He is proud to be a devoted husband and father of three children, and has five grandchildren. In 2012, Chester returned to his roots and is now living in Southeast Michigan.
