By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
ATHLETIC APPAREL brand Under Armour stages the Philippine leg of its regional fitness challenge, “Test of Will,” this weekend, the second in as many years.
Designed to celebrate human performance through intense functional training, “Test of Will” also serves to highlight the “might of the determined and the spirit of the underdogs,” qualities that Under Armour champions.
“The Test of Will is for everyone and anyone with the determination and discipline to train and compete,” said Michael Binger, chief executive officer of Triple Pte Ltd., exclusive distributor of Under Armour in Southeast Asia, in describing the event, which is being held for the whole month of March till early April in six countries in Southeast Asia.
The Philippine leg, the fourth to be staged after national heats in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, will be held at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City on March 25 and 26.
In the fitness challenge, participants will compete in a four-minute circuit consisting of Burpees, One Arm Thruster, TRX Rows, and Sandbag Throw.
Each competitor will be scored based on the maximum number of repetitions they can achieve within 60 seconds.
The highest scoring man and woman of the national heats from Manila get to compete with the best from other countries in the region in the finals which will be held in Kuala Lumpur on May 6.
This year’s overall regional champion will get S$2,500 cash prize, or roughly P88,000.
Triple officials said that the Philippine leg is a testament to how they see the country as a key growth driver in the region.
“Growth in the Philippines has been exponential, driven by the basketball and running categories,” said Roy Lan, Triple marketing manager for Southeast Asia, in an interview with BusinessWorld.
“But in the Philippines we have not gone to the full outskirts. We opened a store in Cebu and Davao and there are still a lot of areas to look at. Even within Manila we haven’t hit all of it,” he added.
THREADBORNE
Meanwhile, apart from continuing its fitness and training thrust in the region, Under Armour is using “Test of Will” this year to showcase its latest apparel and footwear collections engineered with the Threadborne technology.
The Threadborne Siro and Seamless collections are made from fabric that is light, breathable, anti-cling, quick-drying and which provides a high level of stretch and recovery.
“Under Armour took the ultra-durable yarns within paracords and rebuilt them into apparel material that can withstand the rigors of intensive use,” said Mr. Binger of the Threadborne technology.
“The result is a next-generation fabric that gives athletes an edge to perform through enhanced comfort and durability,” he added.
For more information and details on “Test of Will,” log on to www.testofwill.com.
