ADIDAS: NO ATHLETE LEFT BEHIND. NOT THEN, NOT NOW.

ADIDAS(ə): NO ATHLETE(ˈaTHˌlēt) LEFT BEHIND(biˈhīnd). NOT THEN, NOT NOW.

Originally Adi was supposed to be a baker(ˈbākər). Well, he decided against this and was rewarded with leaving quite(kwīt) a mark on sports history. The story about his rise(rīz) from humble(ˈhəmbəl) shoemaker(ˈSHo͞oˌmākər) to global game changer, entrepreneur(-ˈnər,ˌäntrəprəˈno͝or) and, eventually, founder of adidas, is well documented. The ideas, principles and the special attitude(ˈatiˌt(y)o͞od) of this incredibly(inˈkredəblē) creative inventor(inˈventər) are still with us today. In everything we do. It’s even fair to say that the principle he based his life and work on remains the foundation of our company: no athlete left behind. Welcome to adidas.

Adi Dassler’s(ä) simple yet brilliant(ˈbrilyənt) idea was to provide each athlete with the best possible equipment(iˈkwipmənt) to enable peak performances. This vision(ˈviZHən) would change everything. His strong belief in it made him ignore(igˈnôr) his father’s idea that his son would make an excellent(ˈeksələnt) baker. Instead the very passionate(ˈpaSHənit) athlete repurposed(rēˈpərpəs) his mother’s tiny(ˈtīnē) wash(wäSH,wôSH
) kitchen to follow his own dream. So, yes, we guess you could say that adidas was started in a wash kitchen.

Just like it always is with these stories when people found companies in random places or discover medical breakthroughs(ˈbrākˌTHro͞o) by accident(ˈaksidənt), Adi had no idea how many sports he would help to revolutionise(ˌrevəˈlo͞oSHəˌnīz) and that he would be involved(inˈvälvd) in a football miracle(ˈmirikəl). In 1954 adidas screw(skro͞o)-in studs(stəd) helped the German(ˈjərmən) national team to win the Football World Cup final against Hungary(ˈhəNGgərē) – a team that seemed to stand head and shoulders above all other teams. How could he have guessed all of this when he sat for the first time in his mother’s wash kitchen? He wasn’t able to know that he was about to found a company that has become an integral(inˈteg-,ˈintigrəl) part and driving force of today’s sports landscape.

His shoes have become iconic(īˈkänik) names in footwear(ˈfo͝otˌwer) history. The company he built and its 3-Stripes(strīp) trademark(ˈtrādˌmärk) are visible(ˈvizəbəl) at almost every major sporting event around the world. His inventions(inˈvenSHən) are still being studied and quoted(kwōt), examined(igˈzamən) and copied. At the core of it all is one simple desire(dəˈzī(ə)r): make the best for each athlete.

Not bad for a guy who was supposed to be a baker.

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https://www.adidas-group.com/en/brands/adidas/no-athlete-left-behind-not-then-not-now/