Spartan and X-Athletic Announce Partnership | Sports Destination Management

Spartan and X-Athletic Announce Partnership

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Apr 18, 2016
Event Includes Agreement with National Wrestling Coaches Association and Olympic Hopeful Kyle Dake

On the cusp of two of the most important months in amateur wrestling, the global leader in obstacle racing, Spartan Race, announced a new partnership with X-Athletic to sponsor the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). 

Spartan will provide funding as well a unique training certification for NWCA coaches, X-Athletic with its sponsorship and endorsed athlete Kyle Dake will be working with both Spartan Race and the NWCA as a brand ambassador through appearances and marketing.  Dake in conjunction with X-Athletic will support both organizations. 

With the NCAA Wrestling championships set to take place March 17th, 18th & 19th at Madison Square Garden, partnering with X-Athletic and Dake couldn't have come at a more exciting time.

“It’s an honor to support the NWCA, and we look forward to supporting the successful growth of wrestling at large with our SGX program and other new ideas,” said Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan Race, Inc.  “Combine that with our excitement of partnering with X-Athletic and Kyle Dake one of the greatest athletes in the sport of wrestling, we are beyond excited. We look forward to Kyle's journey to the Olympic games and supporting him in his quest for success on a global stage.”

As an athlete at Cornell University, Dake won the NCAA Tournament all four years he participated, at an unprecedented four separate weight classes, and he is now vying for an Olympic bid.  The endorsement deal includes competition at Spartan Races, as well as representation of the company’s popular Spartan SGX training program.

Describing his philosophy toward training, Dake said, “I try to think of my opponent and what he’s doing and make sure that I’m doing double.”  He added, “I love Spartan, its fans and everything the brand stands for, getting the most out of life by using the body you’re given to achieve the highest heights you’re capable of. Plus, it’s just a great vibe and a great community of people.”

Spartan’s proprietary training certification—Spartan SGX—has been earned by an elite community of coaches committed to becoming true life-changers. Together with X-Athletic, a leading supporter of U.S. high-school and college wrestling programs, Spartan will direct much-needed attention to wrestling, which was until recently in jeopardy of being eliminated from the 2020 Olympic Games.  The sports of obstacle racing and wrestling are both remarkable for developing athletes whose mental toughness is as important as their physical athleticism and strength.

The NWCA is an indispensable resource for all wrestling coaches and fans of the sport and has been for the better part of a century. Mike Moyer, executive director of the NWCA, said, “We are truly humbled by X-Athletic and Spartan’s contribution and see them as strategic partners to enable us to expand our impact beyond the mat and affect more people, across the country, in a positive way.”

About Spartan Race, Inc.: Spartan Race is the world’s leading obstacle race company and the first of its kind to feature timing and global rankings. With more than 170 events in 25+ countries planned for 2016, Spartan Race has more than 1 million global participants, and offers open heats for all fitness levels as well as competitive and elite heats. With nearly 5 million passionate social media followers, health and wellness products, as well as the popular NBC television series, Spartan Race has made obstacle racing one of the fastest growing sports—and lifestyles— in the world. Spartan Race features races at three distances, 3+Mile/20+ Obstacle “Sprint,” 8+ Mile/25+ Obstacle “Super” and 12+ Mile/30+ Obstacle “Beast,” culminating each year in the Reebok Spartan Race World Championship. Visit http://www.spartan.com for more information.

About The National Wrestling Coaches Association: The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with a primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling and includes over 10,000 coaches at the youth, high school, and collegiate level, offering them volumes of information on everything from philosophy to technique to to-the-minute news and stats.

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