Under Armour Innovation went to the RIO Olympics on the feet of US Olympian Swimmer Michael Phelps

Who says swimmers doesn’t need shoes? Not US swimmer and Olympian Michael Phelps! The former competitive swimmer and the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals, went to the recently-concluded Rio Olympics with enough motivation – two new footwear innovation from Under Armour called the UA Architech and UA Speedform Slingshot!

Under Armour, the global leader in innovative performance footwear, apparel and equipment has taken footwear innovation to the next level. In March, the Brand introduced its first-ever 3D printed performance trainer, the UA Architech. The UA Architech is a 360-degree performance training shoe that features a functional 3D printed midsole and 3D ClutchFit auxetic upper design that creates a “super-hybrid” trainer. This performance trainer provides athletes with the ultimate stability and cushioning to take on the most intense workouts.

In addition to the state-of-the-art technology and custom color design, Michael’s footwear featured a personal touch to provide an additional source of motivation as he headed into competition. His 3-month old son, Boomer’s footprint is printed on the insole of the shoe as a personal reminder that Boomer is with him every step and stroke of the way.

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The innovative 3D printed midsole of the UA Architech was combined with a flow-molded 3D ClutchFit auxetic upper to provide athletes with a shoe that not only gives a locked-in, supportive feel, but also flexes and moves with the foot to provide a zero distractions experience. Add in the Brand’s unparalleled Charged Cushioning underfoot for responsiveness and comfort, and a thin rubber outsole for traction and you have Under Armour’s most elite performance trainer.

A new color of the UA Architech is now available as a limited edition offering to consumers on UA.com. The shoe, which retails for $299.99, was the first 3D printed performance trainer available to consumers. The first color was available in March and sold out in under 20 minutes.

Under Armour also geared Michael up with a custom pair of the UA Speedform Slingshot Running shoes in a limited edition red, white and blue colorway that also feature Boomer’s footprint. This innovative running shoe delivers zero distractions with a seamless, zonal compression, 3D knit upper and Under Armour Charged Cushioning. The limited edition color way is available on UA.com.

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Here is a video about how the UA Architech came to life:

Motorola’s VerveLife Products released to enhance one’s active and social lifestyle

Motorola, through its distribution arm – Digits Trading, has just recently launched a new range of wireless audio and video products here in the Philippines.

The released collection consists of the wireless headphones – Loop, VerveOne, VerveOne+, VerveRider and VerveRider+. The products are meant to enhance and give wireless freedom to people who are on the go and leads an active lifestyle.

All products in the collection can be connected to mobile phones through an app called Hubble Connect for VerveLife. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices and allows the settings of the headphones to be changed. One of the more interesting things for me though was the ability of the app to locate it on a map. Pretty convenient, especially if you happen to oftentimes forget where you last kept your stuff!

Not to forget, the products doesn’t only play music! Since it is connected to a mobile device, it can also take calls. Truly another plus feature!

We left the launch bringing home with us a product from the collection, the VerveRider and I honestly am excited to be able to try it out!

Meanwhile here are some of the products in the VerveLife range and a brief information:

VerveLife Ones+ – Completely Wireless & Waterproof/Sweatproof Smart Earbuds

The VerveOnes+ is a new generation of completely True Wireless Bluetooth® earbuds that deliver incredible HD sound. Featuring IP57 waterproof protection(1), the headphones can withstand sweat, rain, and even accidental dips in a puddle, so you can take them anywhere.

Features:

• sweat and waterproof earbuds
• completely wireless smart earbuds
• up to 12 hours playtime with charge case
• deep, rich HD sound
• SIRI and Google Now compatible
• Dual mics for clear calls

SRP: Php10,950

VerveRider+ – Wearable, Waterproof Stereo Earbuds

You deserve to hear music and calls in comfort, anywhere. That’s why there’s the new VerveRider+ Wearable, Waterproof Stereo Earbuds. Headphones designed with IP57 water/sweat proof protection(1), you can wear them inside on the treadmill or out in the rain without worry.

Features:

• sweat and waterproof earbuds
• rich HD sound, all day comfort
• up to 12 hours playtime
• up to 150 ft of range
• SIRI and Google Now compatible
• integrated mic for calls

SRP: Php3,950

VerveLoop+ – Super Light, Waterproof, Wireless Stereo Earbuds

Take your music anywhere with the VerveLoop+ headphones. These wireless stereo earbuds are super light, perfect for high impact activities, and are IP57 water and sweatproof to hold strong during your most intense workouts – indoors or outside.

Features:

• sweat and waterproof earbuds
• super light with HD sound
• up to 9.5 hours playtime
• up to 150 ft of range
• SIRI and Google Now compatible
• integrated mic for calls

SRP: Php3,950

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:

MOTOROLA VERVELIFE ENHANCES YOUR EVERY MOVE

● VerveLife products aim to give people with an active, social lifestyle more freedom and connection to the world around them
● Suitable for anyone who needs more productivity, and those who just want to move more

It’s not rocket science; music fuels your workouts. It’s no wonder many fitness buffs and athletes put their headphones on and tune the world out during physical activity. No matter what the training program entails, music can help in getting into “the zone” and put you in peak performance.

However, many people can attest to the hassle of being in the middle of working out and having to lug around different adaptors and wires all for the sake of having music. As such, flexibility and freedom with connection is something aspired by many, not just technology enthusiasts. This is what Motorola VerveLife strives to provide. With it, anyone can achieve this balance and own their every movement with maximum connected convenience.

“Motorola VerveLife is designed for people who want to have it all, and are determined to get what they want. We’re moving towards a wireless age, and we recognize that nobody wants to be physically restricted. That is the beauty of technology. We continue to innovate and address the needs of our consumers,” says Digits CEO Charles Paw.

Motorola VerveLife is a revolutionary collection of wireless video and audio products that allows consumers full freedom to enjoy life and stay connected, even in the wettest, toughest frontiers around the world. It also works well even for urban adventurers, looking for the next gym opening or a big park to run in.

The product line gives users the best kind of mobility they can get while exerting the right kind of effort—not too much, and not too little. The collection consists of a wide range of products, including: HD wireless headphones, including the first True WirelessTM earbuds from a major manufacturer – the Motorola VerveOnes/VerveOnes+ – and a QHD live-streaming lifestyle camera, Motorola VerveCam+.

Much like apps that locate where your phone is, Motorola VerveLife is accompanied with Hubble Connect, which optimizes the perfect sound, reviews and streams video, and finds the last connected location in case the product is lost.

Paw adds, “Technology is meant to enhance everyday living, not limit it. With Motorola VerveLife, we are creating more than just gadgets, but adventure companions you can always rely on.”

This is the power of VerveLife: It’s all about your move. 

Motorola VerveLife Products are available in all Digital Walker stores, Astroplus/Astrovision, Mobile 1, The InboxStore, Listening Room, Gadgets in Style, Games and Gadgets. SRP: Motorola Verve Ones Black Php 9,950 Motorola Verve Ones Black/Orange Php 10,950 Motorola Verve Rider Black Php 2,950 Motorola Verve Rider+ Black Orange Php 3,950

Unlimited Will aids quadruple amputee Kyle Maynard to go beyond his limits

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“Unlimited Will” celebrates an extraordinary athlete, Kyle Maynard, and his determination to surmount any challenge in his path. From the 2nd installment of the Unlimited Campaign comes the third and final one which narrates Kyle Maynard’s strong will to go beyond his limits.

30-year-old Maynard describes himself as a climber, author, athlete and speaker with a “general life philosophy of specializing in not specializing.” He’s also the first quadruple amputee to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro without the aid of prosthetics.

Watch this video to see Kyle’s extraordinary story:

“We don’t see the countless hours of failure that got into it. That failure sets us up for the success because we know what we needed to change.” – Kyle Maynard

PRESS RELEASE:

UNLIMITED WILL: KYLE MAYNARD

The “Unlimited Will” film is the final installment in the Nike “Unlimited” Campaign, which includes the “Unlimited Courage” film, “Unlimited You” film, Unlimited Youth film and the company’s recent series of athlete shorts. It hails both the everyday and champion athletes who regularly push their limits — and who are poised to prove their unlimited potential this summer and beyond.

“Unlimited Will” celebrates an extraordinary athlete, Kyle Maynard, and his determination to surmount any challenge in his path.

“The defining, life-changing moment [for me] was making my first tackle in football, just taking my helmet and smashing it in another guy’s shins as hard as I could,” declares Kyle Maynard.

30-year-old Maynard describes himself as a climber, author, athlete and speaker with a “general life philosophy of specializing in not specializing.” He’s also the first quadruple amputee to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro without the aid of prosthetics.

Born in Washington, D.C., with a rare condition known as congenital amputation, Maynard made that critical football tackle in middle school then switched to wrestling in high school. ”I lost 35 times in a row in a year and a half,” he remembers. “I just kept failing and failing but then finally figured it out. And then by the time I was a senior, people were saying that I was unfairly advantaged.”

“Sometimes when we look at an athlete who has done something in a different way, done something big, done something unique, and we only see the successes.” Maynard adds. “We don’t see the countless hours of failure that go into it. That failure set us up for the success because we know what we needed to change.”

Maynard applies this same try-until-you-achieve attitude, alongside a signature “No excuses” maxim, as an internationally competitive jiu-jitsu fighter, world record-setting weightlifter and mountaineer, who beyond tackling the pure physical challenges of summiting Africa’s tallest peak had to devise his own equipment. Though he now uses an elite custom climbing system, Maynard initially wrapped towels around the end of his arms, securing them with tape.
“If you’re doing something first, you don’t have that path laid out for you so you just have to go and figure it out,” Maynard explains. “You learn how to use your mind. You learn: How do I not fall apart when I have something bad happen to me? How do I get through and overcome bigger challenges? How do I adapt? The lessons that you learn in your sport can transcend into every area of your life, in your relationships and in just any dream that you have.”

#HowToBeYou Sister Madonna Buder

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I do not do tri. I ever experienced doing any form or triathlon – be it short,  half or full distance, but I work in tri events and have been in numerous occassions been witness to some inspiring stories and accomplishments of various athletes of diverse capabilities and skills. That is why, when I saw this viral video of Sister Madonna Buder, I was really so awestruck. Nakakabilib! This and the many other inspiring stories that we have been witnessing in every Ironman 70.3 and 5150 Triathlon events that we work on, really are the perfect examples of sheer will and determination.

Sister Madonna, an American nun, became the oldest woman to ever complete an IRONMAN triathlon at 75 years old. At 82, she set a world record as the oldest IRONMAN triathlon competitor. Today, at 86 years old, Sister Buder has completed over 40 IRONMAN races. Her steely resolve has earned her the epithet the “Iron Nun.”

Here is Sister Madonna’s insipiring story, which is now part and a second installment to Nike’s Unlimited Campaign.

“The only failure is not to try, because your effort in itself is a success”, Sister Madonna Buder.

PRESS RELEASE:

UNLIMITED YOUTH: SISTER MADONNA BUDER

The “Unlimited Youth” film is the latest installment in the Nike “Unlimited” Campaign, which includes the “Unlimited Courage” film, “Unlimited You” film, the company’s recent series of athlete shorts and more, with more to come through the month of August, hails both the everyday athletes and the champion athletes who regularly push their limits — and who are poised to prove their unlimited potential this summer and beyond.

“Unlimited Youth” celebrates an extraordinary athlete, Sister Madonna Buder, and her determination to defy conventional conceptions of age.

When Sister Madonna Buder needed a little extra oomph to complete her first IRONMAN® World Championship triathlon in Hawaii, she predictably channeled the divine. “I thought of the finish line as the entrance to the final finish line, into the Pearly Gates,” she recalls. “That’s what drew me to [it].”

Sister Buder completed that race in 1985, at the age 65. At 75, the American nun became the oldest woman to ever complete an IRONMAN triathlon. At 82, she set a world record as the oldest IRONMAN triathlon competitor. Today, at 86 years old, she has completed over 40 IRONMAN races, each comprising of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run. Her steely resolve has earned her the epithet the “Iron Nun.” Along the way she’s had some setbacks — missing a race finish by a matter of seconds, multiple broken bones, wetsuit issues — but, she proclaims, “The only failure is not to try, because your effort in itself is a success.”

Sister Buder’s introduction to sport came just seven years before her first race in Hawaii, when she attended a workshop on the Oregon Coast that was led by a priest who championed running as a way to harmonize the mind, body and soul. Sister Buder took this creed to the extreme, burning out on the sport before discovering the variety of the triathlon. “That was the salvation,” she declares. Her physical endurance she attributes to listening to her body and maintaining a positive mindset.

“You carry your attitude with you,” Sister Buder elaborates. “You either achieve or you self-destruct. If you think positively, you can even turn a negative into a positive.” Along with this spiritual guidance, she imparts simple, yet easily applicable performance advice to younger athletes: “One step at a time makes a marathon.”

Coming Soon in the PH: Under Armour’s Curry MVP Back 2 Back Pack

PRESS RELEASE:

Under Armour celebrates Stephen Curry’s second consecutive Kia NBA MVP Award with limited edition back-to-back shoe pack
Shoot like Curry in the new Curry MVP Back 2 Back Pack

Under Armour Curry MVP Back 2 Back Pack, containing the Curry One MVP and a new Curry Two MVP colourway

Manila, August 2016 – U.S. high performance sports apparel label Under Armour celebrates U.S. National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar Stephen Curry’s outstanding season performance and second consecutive Kia NBA MVP Award with the Curry MVP Back 2 Back Pack, containing a re-release of the Curry One MVP and a new Curry Two MVP colourway.

Curry’s impression on the sport of basketball is a lesson in the power of perseverance, through sheer will and hard work. In the 2014-2015 season, Curry impressed all by being the first player ever to hit 300 three-pointers in a season. He claimed the 2014-15 Kia NBA MVP Award for his performance and earned his first Larry O’Brien World Championship trophy. Following that, in the 2015-2016 season, he helped to lead the Golden State Warriors to the single-season record for wins, shattered his own three-point record of 400 three-pointers in a season, led the league in scoring and joined the prestigious 50-40-90 shooting club.

For his outstanding achievements, Curry earned the 2015-16 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award. He is the 11^th player (third point guard) in league history to earn the award in back-to-back seasons.

“Stephen Curry’s impact on the game of basketball is immeasurable,” said Kip Fulks, Chief Marketing Officer, Under Armour. “His game and will to dominate is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in the NBA, and his cultural reach off the court is equally transcendent. At Under Armour we are thrilled and humbled to be alongside Stephen on this journey, and look forward to his continued perseverance in making himself a better athlete every single day.”

Commemorating the signature footwear Curry wore in the back-to-back MVP seasons, the Under Armour Curry MVP Back 2 Back Pack has sleek gold colours and design elements, reinforced by Under Armour’s innovative technology. It echoes the relentless strength and tenacity demonstrated by Curry, whose ability to hit shots off the dribble, in traffic and from incredible distance took the world by storm.

The Under Armour Curry MVP Back 2 Back Pack will be available exclusively on www.underarmour.com.ph and Titan retail stores.