23 May USA Track & Field Foundation, Eastbay Team Up to Assist Retired Track & Field Athletes
Wausau, Wis. — As a continuation of an ongoing relationship between the USATF Foundation and Eastbay, the organizations have announced the hiring of two USATF Foundation athlete representatives by Eastbay: Kellie Wells-Brinkley and Andy Fryman.
Wells-Brinkley and Fryman are the first two athletes hired by Eastbay through the Foundation partnership. Wells-Brinkley has joined Eastbay as a national track and field marketing/sales representative, and Fryman will be a regional sales representative.
These positions come at a crucial time for the former athletes as they make the transition from competing professionally to business careers.
“Eastbay is committed to providing job opportunities to our elite athletes as their successful track careers come to a close,” said USATF Foundation Executive Director Tom Jackovic. “The lessons the athletes have learned from the track as well as a strong work ethic are qualities attractive to employers. We appreciate Eastbay for recognizing these attributes in our athletes.”
“We’re excited and proud to welcome them into our family,” said Eastbay Vice President – Field Sales and Marketing Ken West. “Eastbay has a strong tradition of being a preferred destination by world-class athletes, and knowing Kellie Wells-Brinkley and Andy Fryman will be representing Eastbay is a terrific opportunity.
“Our goal is to help track and field athletes gain an edge with the best performance product from the most trusted vendors in the sport, and the addition of Kellie and Andy will help us define the ultimate Eastbay experience for track athletes and coaches,” West said. “We have a 38-year history of supplying the greatest athletes in the world with the products they need to be successful, and we fully support the USATF Foundation’s mission in developing athletes to reach their full potential on and off the field.”
“The marketing and sales talent the USATF Foundation has provided Eastbay is impressive and a welcome addition to our team,” said Eastbay Vice President – Marketing John Shumate. “The knowledge, experience, and insights of these former athletes delivers tremendous value for Eastbay and helps us connect more closely to the outstanding track athletes and programs across the country.
“Eastbay’s roots are in track & field,” Shumate said. “We’ve been the sport’s biggest and most consistent supplier of shoes, clothing, and equipment for the past three decades.”
Kellie Wells-Brinkley is an Olympian specializing in the 100 meters hurdles. She won a Bronze medal at the 2012 London Games while achieving her personal best in the process. She is an alumna of Hampton University and has a background in brand management, public relations, and broadcast journalism.
Andy Fryman had an outstanding athletic career at the University of Kentucky where he competed in the shot put, discus, hammer throw, and weight throw. During his career, Andy was a 2x NCAA All-American, NCAA Mideast Region champion, and SEC champion. Upon graduation, Andy went on to coach at Sam Houston State University for one year as part of the Bearkat Track and Field staff. He then spent five years developing the throwers on the track and field team at Gardner-Webb University. Beyond his coaching duties, Andy remained competitive and earned bronze medalist honors in the weight throw at the USATF Indoor National Championships and landed several top five finishes at both the Indoor and Outdoor National Championships.
Eastbay is one of the largest providers of athletic product in the world, carrying top performance and casual brands such as Nike, Jordan, adidas, Under Armour, ASICS, Mizuno, and dozens more. The company has a catalog/online direct-to-customer business and a Team Sales division that works with clients to outfit their athletic teams.
Eastbay, which has been in business for more than 35 years, is part of Foot Locker Inc.
Eastbay, a brand in the Foot Locker Inc. family, is a leading provider of athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment worldwide. For more information, visit EastbayTeamSales.com or call 1-800-841-5748 for team pricing.
Eastbay was established in Wausau, Wisconsin, in 1980 by two high school track coaches looking to supply their teams with performance cleats and product they couldn’t find in nearby sporting good stores. They created a mail-order catalog and eventually a web site with sports and athletic lifestyle products that found customers around the world. As a top-tier retailer of athletic shoes, apparel, and equipment, Eastbay has close relationships with vendors including Nike, Jordan, adidas, Under Armour, New Balance, ASICS, Brooks, Saucony, and dozens of other sports-inspired brands. Eastbay fulfills more than 30,000 orders per day from its 500,000-square-foot warehouse. Eastbay has been part of the Foot Locker Inc. family since 1997.