In terms of sports sponsorship, Red Bull has a stable unmatched by any other and now they’ve added a Kiwi triathlete to their mix.
In this part of the world alone, Red Bull have signed some of our best snow sport athletes, leading motorsport drivers and more but their latest addition is Olympic bronze medallist Hayden Wilde.
Wilde told 1News – while training on a bike at his home gym – the deal was a real Easter surprise with the 24-year-old completely unaware his manager had made it happen until fellow triathlete Braden Currie played a lead role in delivering the news in a now-viral video.
“Braden wanted me to come down for a week of training,” Wilde said.
“It was a pretty awesome experience. We’ve been FORBs or Friends of Red Bull for six years since the start of my career but it was kind of just that, knowing people in the franchise.
“But then they came down to Wanaka with Braden Currie, a guy I’ve looked up to for years and years, and it was pretty humbling to be given a helmet.
“As an athlete, that’s one of the biggest or most prestigious things to get is a Red Bull helmet.”
Wilde said the deal will help him take his competition to the next level.
“They provide all this technology to athletes so for me, it’ll probably launch me to this next realm of where I need to go to become a better athlete,” he said.
“They’ve got the big HQ in Austria which I’ll be visiting in a few months time where they’ve got every bit of gadgetry that you need from strength and conditioning to nutrition.
“It’s next level.”
Wilde said he plans to go to Austria in May for fitness testing but will also take part in the European season before the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham later this year.
As part of his season, he will still look to earn a place in the 5000m in Birmingham but will need help to get there.
“If I can get a [qualification] extension, you can apply for one [with the NZOC], I can line up a race in Belgium,” he said.
“I’ll see if I can get there and give it a go.”
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