Plum Practicewear Teams Up with Grander Inc. to Present Grander Academy + Announce Scholarship Program
The Joint Collaboration Offers an Up Close, Supportive, and Empowering Experience for Aspiring Gymnasts
Plum Practicewear, an online retailer of gymnastics apparel, has been named the official sponsor of three Grander Academies that are occurring across the country this winter. Grander Academy is the offline experience of Grander Inc., a platform to empower the next generation of female athletes, co-founded by five-time Olympic medalist, Nastia Liukin, and her fiancé, former hockey player at Boston College, Matt Lombardi.
The first Grander Academy will be held during the California Grand Invitational, January 12-13, 2018 at the Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, Calif.). This exciting two-day event connects gymnasts, family, and friends with direct access to their idols offering the powerful tools and tactics needed to empower each gymnast’s performance and instill confidence. Additional Grander Academies presented by Plum Practicewear will be held at the Buckeye Classic from February 3-4 at the Ohio Expo Center (Columbus, Ohio) and at the Gasparilla Classic from February 24- 25 at the Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg, Fla.).
As part of the collaboration, Plum Practicewear and Grander have joined forces to launch the Plum and Grander Scholarship Apparel Line – a co-branded collection of limited edition, custom wearables and accessories that will include a stainless steel thermal water bottle, a cotton tank top, and Plum’s signature four-way stretch capri leggings. Portions of the proceeds from each purchase will benefit the Plum and Grander Scholarship for Promising Young Gymnasts (PGSPYG), which will offer academic scholarships for 2018 graduating high school seniors. The scholarship application process will begin on April 1, 2018.
“Plum Practicewear is proud to be an integral part of the Grander Academy and work alongside nationally- and internationally-decorated gymnasts and experts to help support and aid the dreams of aspiring gymnasts,” said Debra Rizzi, Plum Practicewear partner and director of marketing. “Grander’s initiatives are in-line with the Plum Practicewear goals of celebrating the positivity of the sport, giving back, and inspiring the next generation of gymnasts. With the launch of the PGSPYG scholarship program, Plum and Grander can further support our industry’s student athletes on their journey.”
“Grander’s mission is to empower the next generation of female athletes and so when this opportunity and idea came together to support student athletes and their journeys, we were so excited to launch this initiative with Plum Practicewear,” said Matt Lombardi, Grander co-founder and CEO. “Partnering with a brand like Plum Practicewear - who has very similar goals and values as Grander, a passionate team, and the ability to create amazing product lines - enabled us to maximize our efforts and carry out such an important initiative in a big way and help make a difference for young athletes.”
Along with Liukin, Academy speakers at the Academy during the California Grand Invitational include Shannon Miller, a seven-time Olympic medalist and America’s most decorated Olympic gymnast; Amanda Borden, captain of the gold-medal winning Magnificent Seven team in the 1996 Summer Olympics; Elly Hart, a sports medicine provider and former level 10 gymnast; and Cory Tomlinson, a confidence training enthusiast.
The new Plum and Grander Scholarship Apparel Line melds the two brand colors to provide a feeling of inspiration and wisdom while embracing the fun, colorful style that Plum is known for. The collection, which retails for $20.99-$39.99, is currently available for presale exclusively online at PlumPracticewear.com. Full distribution will be available beginning May of this year. To register for the next Grander Academy and to learn more, visit grandersports.com/events.
About Grander Inc.
Grander Inc. was co-founded by five-time Olympic medalist, Nastia Liukin, and her fiancé, former hockey player at Boston College, Matt Lombardi, with a goal of empowering the next generation of women by unlocking their potential. Grander is a mobile app (available on the App Store for iOS devices) that provides aspiring female athletes access to industry leaders, inspiring and educational content, and communities of like-minded people with similar ambitions. Gymnastics is Grander’s first community, connecting aspiring gymnasts with their biggest idols in the sport to engage with and receive exclusive content from them. Grander creates a safe and secure environment for athletes to engage with their mentors and other athletes as well. Gymnasts experience direct mentorship from industry leaders that include Nastia Liukin, Alicia Sacramone Quinn, and Samantha Peszek. Visit grandersports.com to learn more about how to join the community.