Betting on triathlon: Eckuity invests in PTO for wellness and health

Leading global venture capital giant Eckuity has made a ‘strategic investment’ in the Professional Triathletes’ Organisation (PTO).

Eckuity says it invests in organisations which ‘deliver a strong positive impact on healthcare outcomes, wellness and enhancement of human condition’.

The PTO has already earmarked the investment to help the organisation attain recognition and rewards for its professionals that are currently available to those sportspersons competing in other sports.

Meanwhile, Eckuity will use the PTO’s major event broadcasts to promote exercise in the fight to battle chronic diseases.

COVID study

The partnership comes hot on the heels of a study released by Discovery Vitality in February which showcased a link between regular exercise and and better outcomes in relation to COVID-19.

The ground-breaking study of 65,000 South Africans showed that individuals who were highly engaged in physical activity were associated with a 34% lower risk of hospital admission, 41% lower risk of ICU admission, 45% lower risk of ventilation and 42% lower risk of death.

Even individuals who participated in moderate physical activity had better outcomes than the low physical activity group.

PTO athletes an inspiration

The PTO’s Executive Chairman, Charles Adamo, said: “Our PTO Professionals provide an inspiration to all those who face challenges in their lives and want to overcome obstacles and achieve their potential.

“We believe Eckuity’s healthcare expertise will assist in our goal of creating a more health and wellness conscious community by providing access to innovative healthcare technologies.”

Youssef Sebban, Managing Partner at Eckuity, said: “We are fully aligned behind PTO’s mission and believe the management team will consistently deliver world-class events bringing this sport the coverage it so rightly deserves, thus providing a high profile platform for influencing our culture to better mental and physical health.”

Dialling into the DNFs

In addition, the PTO has also announced an ambitious project with Precision Fuel & Hydration to drastically cut the amount of ‘nutrition-related DNFs’ in the inaugural PTO Tour.

With 4% of competitors failing to finish on average – and the ‘Did Not Finish’ rate upwards of 15% on some of the hotter courses, the PTO has moved swiftly to help its triathletes keep on top of their nutrition.

“Ending up with a DNF after months of training is incredibly frustrating and disappointing. With that in mind, we set out to find a sports nutrition partner who would be able to really make a difference and we found this in Precision Fuel & Hydration,” PTO CEO Sam Renouf said.