A brand, built from the frustration of being unable to find a suitable backpack to hold gym equipment, is going from strength to strength after building a customer base of 26,000 fitness fanatics globally.
Nick Costello, a former personal trainer and CrossFit enthusiast, was unable to find a functional, durable, stylish backpack that could meet his gym requirements, so in 2018, he decided to create his own.
Taking the classic military design as a starting point and following months of testing and redesigning, he created the Hero Backpack, and the Built for Athletes brand was born. Fast forward a year and the brand has shipped thousands of the backpacks worldwide, increased its product range and seen turnover increase from 6 figures to 7 figures YOY.
Nick Costello, CEO of Built for Athletes, said: “2019 was a fantastic year for Built for Athletes, the Hero Backpack was shipped to more than 20 countries worldwide and endorsed by athletes such as Obi Vincent, Ollie Marchon and Zack George. Today thousands of CrossFit athletes across the globe are using our products regularly.
“2019 also saw my brother Danny join the business and with his marketing experience, we have been able to exceed our growth targets and build a loyal customer base”
Trusted by fitness industry experts and elite athletes, the best in class fitness backpack won numerous best buy award titles in respected fitness magazines during 2019 leading to Built for Athletes creating a smaller version of the product as well as increasing its product range.
Danny Costello, Head of Marketing, said: “After such a successful year we decided to kick off 2020 by extending our range of backpacks and accessories. The new additions to the range include new colours in the 25L and 45L Hero Backpack as well as much needed accessories such as mobility water bottles, reusable coffee cups, meal preparation boxes and protein shakers.
“At Built for Athletes we believe an athlete’s mindset is to surpass boundaries, continually striving for high performance, to never settle once a goal is achieved but raise the bar higher and go again and myself and Nick mirror that mindset. Our aim in 2020 is to continue to push the brand in the right direction, giving our customers the right tools and equipment for them to succeed and achieve their own goals.”
The Hero Backpack, Built for Athlete’s original product will take whatever you throw at it. With the option of a 45L or 25L capacity and made from tough high-density polyester, it’s waterproof and rip proof with lots of pockets for all your kit. The best-in-class fitness backpack is fully customisable via the addition of patches to velcro strips. Each backpack comes with a USA badge and Built for Athletes patch as standard.
