By Jayne Harris
West Virginia-based athletic performance company Chill Athlete recently entered a sponsorship agreement with the Snapple Triathlon Team. As one of 15 national sponsors, along with companies like Clif Bar and Diamondback Bicycles, Chill Athlete supports the triathletes by providing apparel and products to help their performance and recovery.
“The Snapple Tri Team partners with the best in the triathlon business,” says Mindy Forsyth, director of the Snapple Triathlon team. “We love supporting companies that are passionate about improving the triathlon community and supporting our athletes. We were introduced to Chill Athlete by one of our Pro Team athletes this year, and their cold brew has been a hit with our team—the perfect blend of freshly roasted coffee with caffeine to fuel morning workouts.”
Forsyth is an accomplished triathlete herself with eight years of race experience under her belt. Since the partnership was established, she has started using Chill Athlete’s products. “Chill Athlete’s Cold Brew Coffee is what I crave before a sweaty morning workout—no chemicals or unpronounceable ingredients in their cold brew. I also love using their cooling therapy ball. I sit through an entire TV show in the evening and massage the knots out of my hamstrings and quads, leading to faster recovery for the next day’s workouts.”
The Snapple Triathlon Team currently has 14 professional athletes who compete on a national level. In addition to the professional team, Snapple also has a team of triathletes ranging from beginners to pros focused on being the best athletes they can be. This encouraging and supportive community is what attracted Chill Athlete to the team.
Based in Morgantown, WV, Chill Athlete was co-founded by Mike Arbogast, Jim Matuga and Lincoln Kinkade. Arbogast and Matuga co-own InnerAction Media, a digital marketing agency, and Kinkade owns several physical therapy practices throughout North Central West Virginia. Together they launched Chill Athlete to bring high-performance products to athletes to safely maximize their performances.
“We’re excited about our new partnership with the Snapple Triathlon Team,” says Arbogast. “Chill Athlete is honored to be a team sponsor, along with other leading national brands. We believe everybody is an athlete, whether you’re starting your fitness journey or competing professionally. That is why we love this sponsorship.”
Chill Athlete sells its products nationally through its website and Amazon. The products are designed to help athletes perform at an optimal level by keeping them hydrated and cool. Products include:
- Cold Brew Coffee, Chill Athlete’s best-selling cold brew, which is prepared daily to maintain freshness and flavor. The coffee is custom roasted, ground and packaged by Ridge Roasters, another Morgantown-based company. The proprietary cold brew blend was developed as an alternative to heavily caffeinated energy drinks, which are typically high in calories and additives. Chill Athlete says the cold brew can replace a pre-workout energy drink or morning coffee.
- Chill Towel, which is made from a hyper-evaporative material, meaning the fabric retains water while remaining dry to the touch. The towel has been proven to stay cool for up to two hours, helping athletes cool off after an intense workout or outside on a hot day.
- Chill Ball, a cooling therapy ball designed to provide relief for plantar fasciitis, trigger points, muscle knots and Myofascial release. The ball is designed to be frozen before use, helping to reduce swelling, soreness, tension and tendon pain. The Chill Ball was designed by Kinkade.
- Chill Athlete’s apparel, which is moisture-wicking and designed to be worn during workouts. The apparel is screen printed in Morgantown by Davis and Lee. Currently, Chill Athlete sells mostly t-shirts, along with a hoodie, baseball tee and hat.
In addition to the retail component, Chill Athlete’s website features a blog where local personal trainers, athletes and business owners write informative articles on topics such as dynamic versus static stretching and staying healthy on a college budget.
Chill Athlete hopes the partnership with Snapple will increase visibility of the small-town brand and lead to other positive opportunities for the company.
About the Author
Jayne Harris is a content developer and graphic designer for Chill Athlete. A resident of Morgantown, she has a background in higher education marketing. Harris is a registered yoga teacher and competitive powerlifter, bringing an insider’s perspective on the fitness industry to Chill Athlete.
