Langley heptathlon star Georgia Ellenwood can go through as many as eight or nine pairs of shoes in the two-day, seven-event competition that includes hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 metre race, long jump, javelin throw and 800 metre race.
Now, those shoes will be custom made, precisely engineered to extract that additional fraction of a second that can separate winning from just a good finish.
It’s one of the benefits of her just-announced sponsorship deal with the Under Armour company.
It is Ellenwood’s first sponsorship deal since she graduated from university in May.
“It’s a big change for me,” Ellenwood told the Langley Advance Times.
“I really didn’t get to customize my footwear before. Now, I’m working really close with a team that understands the sport and understands athletics.
“They [Under Armour] are willing to create a shoe for every specific event,” Ellenwood said.
“Even for warmup and recovery.”
Ellenwood said a recent trip to the Under Armour footwear innovation facility in Portland was an “eye-opener” that showed her the value of applying technology to performance.
An Under Armour spokesperson said some of the design elements from Ellenwood’s custom shoes could find their way into consumer model shoes.
Ellenwood finished her collegiate career by winning the NCAA heptathlon title in 2018.
READ MORE: Georgia Ellenwood takes Pan American Combined Events Cup and Canadian National Heptathlon
Following that, she was the 2018 Pan American Combined Events Cup champion – which also served as the Canadian Combined Events Championship – giving Ellenwood her first senior national title.
In her first season as a pro athlete, Ellenwood is training to represent Canada at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Ellenwood joins an Under Armour running roster that includes Canadian marathoner Lanni Marchant, U.S. sprinter Natasha Hastings and Jamaican steeplechaser Aisha Praught Leer.
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Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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