Photo courtesy of Universal Sports
CHAMPION PRO SNOWBOARDER GRETCHEN BLEILER INVITES YOU TO A CHALLENGE
Current 2010 champion and 4 X-Games halfpipe gold medalist Gretchen Bleiler is proud to announce the kick off of the “21 Day Reusable Challenge,” an eco-minded call to action asking individuals around the globe to give up single serving disposable plastic water bottles, plastic grocery bags and Styrofoam takeaway containers for 21 days. In addition to wanting to get the public involved, Gretchen has also asked other winter X Games athletes to take the challenge with her going into Winter X Games 15.
With the idea that it takes 21 days to build a habit, the challenge encourages people to consciously “create a habit” to benefit our habitat. As the keynote speaker at a college environmental conference during the fall of 2010, Gretchen wanted to call students to action. Out of this desire, the 21 Day Reusable Challenge was born.
Gretchen says, “Every single one of us has a unique opportunity to create awareness and influence change, so the 21 Day Reusable Challenge is a chance for people to stop using harmful disposable products, and inspire their friends and families to do the same by simply posting videos and photos through their social network.” From there, Gretchen’s Facebook followers vote on the most inspirational stories and the top five individuals with the most liked stories will win products from Gretchen’s sponsors Oakley, K2, Mission Skin Care, ALEX Bottle, and Holga Cameras.
In collaborating with other industry snowboarders and X Games athletes, Gretchen hopes to spread the message and encourage people to participate in the challenge, incorporating reusable living in their everyday lives while also raising awareness to the amount of disposable waste we are still exposed to on a daily basis. “Our winters depend on how we manage our consumer habits, and since most of these athletes already practice sustainability, this is a chance for them to show it and encourage their fans to do the same” says Gretchen.
After winning a silver medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics for women’s snowboarding halfpipe, Gretchen decided to use her new platform as a chance to speak about an issue that is close to her heart in many ways, climate change. In addition to working with sponsors Oakley and K2 Snowboarding to create signature eco friendly products, Gretchen has also started her own sustainable stainless steel reusable water bottle company, ALEX Bottle, with husband and former Oakley Marketing Manager, Chris Hotell. For more information on ALEX Bottle, please visit www.alexbottle.com. For more information on the 21 Day Reusable Challenge or to participate go to www.reusablechallenge.com.
To post images and videos of your own 21 Day Challenge to Gretchen’s Facebook page (a requirement to be a part of the contest), go to www.facebook.com/gretchenbleiler.
Follow Gretchen on Twitter for 21 Day Reusable Challenge updates/ posts at www.twitter.com/gretchenbleiler and if/when you tweet back, please use the hashtag #reusablechallenge.
