What if?

I knew someone who could run a marathon in under 2h30. He eventually stepped away because running wasn’t paying the bills.

When he told me, I wondered how much further he could have gone. He had already reached a remarkable level. Still, making a living had to come first.

His story played a big part in my thinking about Athledex. I couldn’t stop wondering how many other people had ability they would never get the chance to fully develop.

I wanted to spend more time getting to know those people. What were they working towards? What stood in their way? What would genuinely help them move forward?

In Vietnam, I played with Inter Da Nang. I got to know the club through the people and the football, and saw their commitment first-hand. Becoming a sponsor was a way for Athledex to support something I had been part of and wanted to see grow.

That experience helped make the ambition concrete. Before deciding how to support a club, I had been part of it. I had a reason to care about what happened next.

Athledex was born from the desire to give more of that potential a chance to develop. I want to build a sports brand that people can make part of their own lives, through their practice, what they wear and the people they connect with. The app and apparel are still in development. The ambition is for people to carry the movement at their own scale, without needing me there.

I still think about that runner. I respect the choice he made. Paying the bills was necessary. I still wish he’d had more room to find out what he could achieve.

What if more people got the chance to find out how far they could go?