I’ve mentioned Alaska Milk a couple of times in my last blog posts, but haven’t made the official announcement that they are one of my new sponsors – until now. So here it is… drumroll please…
Tim Berkel signs with Alaska Milk
I’m delighted to announce that I have signed with Alaska Milk, the leading milk company in the Philippines. Not only are they the largest supplier of milk products to Filipino households, but they also have an awesome commitment to providing nutritious products at an affordable price and a vision to promote a healthy lifestyle for Filipino kids. That was certainly something I saw firsthand on my recent trip to the Philippines for IM 70.3 Subic Bay.
It’s important to me, as a professional triathlete, to partner with sponsors who share my values and who are making a significant contribution to the sport and to the wider community. The bottom line is – if I’m going to wear someone’s logo, I’ve got to believe in what they’re doing. That’s why I’ve been excited to connect up with Alaska Milk.
If I’d had this when I was growing up…
Alaska Milk has had a long and impressive commitment to sport in the Philippines. The company has been involved in professional basketball for 30 years and sponsored the largest soccer tournament for kids in the Philippines for the last 20 years. In recent times they have been getting involved with triathlon – both at the professional level and also at the grassroots level.
The thing that really grabbed my attention when I was competing in Cebu last year was the Alaska Milk Ironkids Triathlon program. While I was charging around the Cebu course, hundreds of kids were competing in their own event. It was great to be able to check it out and see the impact Alaska Milk are having on kids’ sport and triathlon in particular.
Last week at Subic Bay I had the privilege of meeting some of the kids competing in the Ironkids triathlon and awarding some of the prizes. I’m talking about kids from 6 – 14 years old in four different age categories. All of them keen to race, all of them giving 110% and all of them having some serious fun as they grow to love this amazing sport. As I looked around at the smiling faces, I thought, “Gee, I wish I’d had something like Ironkids happening when I was growing up.”
Working together in Asia
So, I’m proud to be working with Alaska Milk and I look forward to competing more in the Asia region this year, particularly heading back to the Philippines in early August for the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship at Cebu.
One final acknowledgement… The driving force behind Alaska Milk’s push into triathlon and the Ironkids program is Wilfred Uytengsu Jr. His friends call him Fred. Fred is the President of Alaska Milk and he’s also the CEO of Sunrise Event, which brought Ironman Triathlon to the Philippines.
Fred isn’t just a man in a suit – he’s swum at an international level and more importantly, he’s raced triathlons. Not only does he understand the sport, but he’s also got a genuine heart for kids and a vision for ensuring they grow up healthy and happy.
I know Alaska Milk’s commitment to triathlon and to kids goes far beyond just ticking the ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ box. They want to leave behind much more than just a milk moustache on kids’ faces. They see it as an investment in the future of the Philippines. I’m excited about working with Fred and his team into the future.
A final word from Wildred Uytensu Jr.
I’ll let Fred have the last word on behalf of Alaska Milk:
“We are pleased to welcome Tim Berkel as an endorser for Alaska Milk. Tim’s commitment to triathlon and his perspective towards corporate social responsibility are aligned with our values and we look forward to him proudly wearing the Alaska brand. We wish him a successful season in 2016.”
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