Burdick was born in Utah and spent much of his childhood playing soccer, basketball, swimming, and water polo. After completing a few semesters as an undergraduate, he enlisted in the Navy because it would allow him to administer medical treatment during combat operations. He was assigned as a hospital corpsman to the 3rd Battalion 6th Marine Regiment based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. From 2007 to 2010, he deployed once to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. With one week left of his third deployment, Burdick’s armored vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb resulting in severe injuries to both feet. He underwent limb salvage and intense physical therapy, and when he regained his strength, he was fitted for a pair of braces that allowed him to stand and walk upright again. He was an avid snowboarder before the accident, so once he was stronger, he was introduced to the National Ability Center in Park City through the Wounded Warrior Project. With this experience, he started training with Team Utah, a competitive snowboard team for both able-bodied and adaptive snowboarders. He quickly became a vital component of Team USA and competed at the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi. Following Sochi, Burdick began developing pain in his legs and decided to have both amputated to continue his snowboarding journey. He returned to international competition in 2017 and rejoined the U.S. Para Snowboard Team shortly after. 

He enjoys biking, sailing, hiking, and traveling when he's not on snow. In addition to snowboarding, Burdick has his private pilot’s license through Salt Lake Community College and has sailed 900 miles across the Gulf of Mexico more than four times. He and his brother lived on his family’s sailboat for one year in Florida and another in Texas. Tyler competed at the Warrior Games with the U.S. Navy in 2011 and 2012