A Brand... A Way of Life...

 

People ask me every day what HTFU means…where it came from…and why that particular phrase. My answers always stay the same but with some sort of variance. Each time I learn something different. Each time I realize something I didn’t know before…and each time I seem to get the point I wanted to make across. More times than not, the questions come from non-athletes or non-extremist. HTFU seems to run synonymous with endurance runners, triathletes, cyclist, bodybuilders, fighters, etc and therefore usually needs very little explanation. With this in mind…I thought I would enlighten our readers what the brand and acronym means to us!

HTFU is…in its purist form nothing more than a brand dedicated to supporting and promoting the most extreme athletes in the world...

The above phrase is just that…our motto and belief. Labeling yourself an extreme athlete does not come lightly nor easy. The extremist does not come without the most daunting of sacrifices, the most trying of hardship or the most volatile of lifestyles. This way of life is but for only a few. While many of us will aspire to go there…very few have the ability or the aptitude to see it through to the end.

Everyone understands that without sacrifice comes no reward. That without pain, there is no victor…and without struggle, there is no triumph. Amber Rais said it best…A “Victory Salute” captures, for a brief moment in time…Success . One or two hands in the air…there’s no sweeter taste of accomplishment than the feeling of a win, an achievement or a pivotal moment in life crossed off you never thought attainable.

It has always been a personal belief of mine that everything accomplished, whether academically or athletically comes from the amount of work one is willing to give to succeed. For me, now, at this point in my life…. those accomplishments are my family, my health and above all… HTFU. Everything I learned in sport and in life I have carried with me to our new company. Any success we have, and triumph we make…all comes with months, days and hours of dedication and passion poured into making this brand something special for everyone who chooses to partake.

To me, HTFU is a legacy left behind for every dedicated soul willing to put their own comforts aside…willing to step outside the box…even if just for a moment…do what is absolutely necessary to make it one step closer to a dream. There is one thing our company realizes is that every one persons dream or obstacle is different than the rest…and that no one persons passion or hardship supersede another in regards to importance or significance. All we hope to leave behind is a theory and mindset to those that choose to embark on a life more satisfying, a life more accomplished, and a life where you know no boundaries… Where anything and everything is attainable.

What athletic company today emphasizes or exploits the misery, pain or hardship that comes with training to becoming a better athlete? What brand stands beside an athlete at the lowest point in his or her life? Who’s there to talk about the real sacrifices we make to better our bodies or athletic talents. Athletic companies of today market triumph or success, glory and fame…and of course…the all to famous “Victory Salute”. While we sit and watch TV commercials of athletes stardom growing by the minute, only fed by interest groups looking to monopolize on an athletes success…we seem all to quick to forget the once famous athlete who struggled to find a way, the aspiring pro who’s doing everything possible to climb into the ranks hoping and buying his or her time for a chance to compete. We never think about those individuals. We never let ourselves acknowledge that these are the people who feed and fuel the passion of success and victory. These are the true entrepreneurs of sport… These are how we got to where we are and who will send us into tomorrow. And if you look even closer, these are the same athletes you see on TV today…you just see them after the fact…after their “Victory Salute”….

So here’s to everyone willing to do what is necessary... Here is to everyone willing to challenge him or herself when no one else will. When you’re all alone. No coach, no team, no athlete standing next to you. Here’s to the athlete willing to step up his or her game when nobody asked, when it wasn’t required or when it wasn’t even necessary. Here it is to the athlete who just said screw it…let’s have some fun… Just for once…let’s see how far I can push my boundaries, how much I can physically endure and if I am truly willing to go where I never thought possible.

 

 

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