UA Peak Efforts Challenge
11.29.2021

Under Armour CEO Patrik Frisk Embodies Company Culture in Peak Efforts Challenge

Six UA teammates joined Frisk in October as they attempted to summit the equivalent height of Mt. Everest in Vermont

When the CEO brings boss energy to the mission, it empowers the people working for him to charge forward and . . . well, in this case, literally conquer a mountain. 

 

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Against a backdrop of picturesque fall foliage that belied harsh downpours and mud-slicked terrain, Under Armour CEO Patrik Frisk and six UA teammates took on the 29029 Everesting challenge at Vermont’s Stratton Mountain Resort in mid-October. The goal: Ascend the mountain as many times as possible in 36 hours, with a finish line of 17 summits totaling 29,029 feet—the equivalent height of Mt. Everest. 

 

The six teammates who joined Frisk in Under Armour’s Peak Efforts Challenge—Larry Bright, Matthew Burdette, Liz Lopez, Jessica Ponds, Caroline Requa, and Anthony Yankovic—earned their spots by logging the most miles in this past summer’s running challenge for all U.S. based Corporate, Distribution House, and Retail teammates, hosted on UA’s MapMyRun app.

 

While the 29029 event isn’t billed as a race, Under Armour teammates Ponds and Burdette were the first two to finish (with 17 ascents in under 16 hours) among roughly 250 participants who took on a punishing trail with an average incline of 36 degrees (a gondola ferried hikers back to basecamp after each ascent). 

 

Under Armour teammates Burdette (left) and Ponds (right) were the first to finish all 17 ascents.

Under Armour teammates Burdette (left) and Ponds (right) were the first to finish all 17 ascents.

Burdette marks his final ascent, after completing all 17 in under 16 hours.

Burdette marks his final ascent, after completing all 17 in under 16 hours.

Climbing Mt. Everest without actually climbing Mt. Everest?  

 

For UA teammates, it was just another day at “the office” even though they were some 400 miles from the Baltimore headquarters. No matter how many ascents teammates might have bagged, they all embodied the brand’s Focused Performer mindset of striving for more with each and every step of the journey. Just consider their mantras:  

 

This requires every part of you . . .

 

I’m just not going to stop is the point . . .

 

If you put the focus on yourself, and not anybody else, you’re going to be successful.

 

“You see a lot of CEOs for big companies talking about culture. But Patrik was living the culture out there on the mountain and it inspired all of us.” 

Matthew Burdette

“The only way is through, going up,” says Frisk, honing in on the essence of what it means to be a UA Focused Performer. “We learned a lot about ourselves and our ability to stay in it—that grit and determination.” 

 

As for making those discoveries in stride with Frisk . . . 

 

“You see a lot of CEOs for big companies talking about culture,” Burdette says. “But Patrik was living the culture out there on the mountain and it inspired all of us.” 

 

UA Peak Efforts Challenge

UA Peak Efforts Challenge