The Summer Olympics are nothing but an amalgamation of ups and downs for the best athletes in the world. They have overcome victories and defeats, pride and pain, shattered records and broken bones. As Team USA’s Olympians and Paralympians take the stage in Paris in the coming weeks, medical staff will be there to accompany them through every feat and every fall, in style.
For the first time, the more than 250 medical professionals who make up the Team USA medical team are wearing uniforms. Figsa direct-to-consumer medical clothing brand, and first company led by two female co-founders to go public—in partnership with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to break another barrier.
“This is the first time that a medical team has been equipped for a country in preparation for the Olympic Games,” said Figs co-founder and CEO. Trina Spear tell Fortune“It’s really something that speaks to our overall mission and values as a company “From day one, we’ve put healthcare professionals in the spotlight they deserve. They’re usually in the shadows, but that’s not the case anymore. It’s really about highlighting the people who serve all of us, who serve humanity, and in this case, who serve athletes.”
When Spear and Figs co-founder Heather Hasson After discussing the idea with the USOPC, they were surprised to learn that not only did Team USA’s medical staff not have an equipment manager, they were also responsible for their own attire for the Games. The committee, Spear explains, was equally eager to find a way to support the medical professionals who help Olympians and Paralympians stay at the top of their game.
“They act like a team, they support all the athletes. They should be equipped like a team,” Spear said. “It’s historic for them, too.”
The U.S. team’s medical staff is just as excited about their Olympic sons as Figs was about creating them, Spear says. Doctor Gloria Beima Colorado-based orthopedic surgeon who has been the U.S. team doctor since 2004 Summer Olympics in Athensis grateful for the company’s support.
Courtesy of Figs
“When Figs first contacted me about this partnership, my first thought was, ‘What a great opportunity to shine a light on healthcare professionals, in particular post-COVID”, Beim said in an exclusive statement to Fortune“As a surgeon in a small town, I see my patients outside the hospital and feel their appreciation on a regular basis. However, my colleagues across the country do not all receive the same level of respect for the work they do every day.
“What most people don’t understand is the level of training and sacrifice it takes to become a healthcare professional. And it’s not just our own lives that are impacted, but the lives of our loved ones as well. Nothing fills my soul more than helping people.”
Stars, Stripes and Stethoscopes
This is not Figs’ first foray into professional sports medicine: the company equips medical staff take care of the English Premier League Everton Football Club—but it’s the company’s largest marketing effort. Its multi-year deal with the USOPC extends through the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles.
Figs launched its campaign on Thursday with a video advertisement titled “Anatomy of a Champion.” The tagline: “It takes courage to build record-breaking bodies.” Set to the tune of the children’s anatomical song “Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” the video features 14 medical professionals and a half-dozen athletes, including current and former Olympians and Paralympians. The medical staff, of course, wear limited-edition Figs x Team USA Medical Team scrubs.
Available in solid cherry red, optic white and navy, the hospital outfits are clean and practical. Simple touches, like a jumpsuit for women and a stand-up collar for men, add a futuristic vibe. The medical staff wearing the clothes in the promotional photos look like they have a mission to accomplish, which they do.
“It comes down to what we have always done“Really a focus on function,” Spear says. Fortune“We have a pocket architecture for everything we create: where you put your stethoscope, your alcohol swabs, your sutures, your stitches, your bandages, all your tape, everything you need to perform at your best.”
Spear adds, “It’s really cool that Figs is creating pockets and zippers so people can hold the tool that will save someone’s life. That intention has always been part of what we do. And in this case, it’s on a global scale (so) we had to get it right.”
Courtesy of Figs
Comfort was also a priority when designing the garments for healthcare professionals, says Spear, who has imagined them for everything from operating rooms to Olympic stands. The outfits are designed to be sleek, breathable and unifying.
“Everyone needs healthcare professionals to make sure that we can all live healthy and prosperous lives, whether you’re an athlete winning a gold medal on that podium or someone getting a mental health exam or a gynecological exam,” says Spear. “Healthcare professionals make our bodies work, and that’s our goal: to celebrate them and make sure they get their own podium.”
If you’re feeling patriotic, you don’t have to be an Olympic healthcare provider to don the Team USA Medical Team uniform; the gear is available for purchase on the Figs website.
For more information on the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Paris:
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