From the Founder....

Hi there, I’m Kathryn, the founder of Uplevel Athletics. 

Sometime in 2017,  lying in savasana in the back row of a steamy yoga class in Southern California drenched in sweat top to bottom after invigorating yoga flow, I decided I had it. I had utterly and completely had it with my workout gear failing me yet again.   I’m a certified yoga instructor - I’ve been practicing for more than 15 years and like most people I get pretty sweaty in hot yoga class.  And time after time, once I was ready to challenge myself to get into the day’s peak pose, my expensive yoga gear would turn basically into a terrifying 1 person slip-n-slide. 

I made my career as a finance professional in tech, most days I'm booked to the minute and lucky if I can steal away for a precious 60 minutes to go to my yogic “happy place”. My frustration finally reached its boiling point on this particular day,  I remember it was the final day workshopping Flying Squirrel, I was slipping (and falling) because my sweat had soaked through my Nylon/Lycra blend du jour.  Sure, my butt looked fantastic but I was antagonized by constantly losing this moment where my body and mind would be beautifully synchronized to be ready for that next challenge - ready to Uplevel my practice…Only to have it come crashing down (literally and figuratively) before it could even begin.

Frustration collided  with the ultimate question of... did I really care what my butt looked like while I was chasing my edge? Sure, we all want to look great and sculpted butt, but in this case, was it serving me? Were these expensive yoga pants that flattered my behind, really working for me in my yoga class?  Isn't it possible to look great and have top of the line functionality? 

It was a moment, my moment, lost to athletic wear that didn’t support my actual needs. My frustration was the catalyst to my lightning bolt. That sweaty unforgettable day in 2017 the idea struck me that there should be yoga pants that make you look great but with silicone grips on the outside designed to prevent that slippage. So when you’re in the zone and ready to chase your edge to Uplevel, your gear will actually support you and your goals. Sculpted Butt included.  Apparel that looks good and actually works for you.  Although admittedly, it's not an entirely novel concept....gear that looks good and provides supportive functionality.

Beyond the actual product idea of the FrictionGrip Pants, I fell in love with the whole concept of athletic apparel that looked good and is actually supportive of me and my goals. And I had envisioned a Company that was actually supportive of its customers too - and whose customers were supportive of each other.  Products and a Company that would actually help us all….Uplevel. 

Fast forward to 2020 after years of research and development on the Uplevel FrictionGrip Pants (shameless plug: ideal for Yoga, Pilates, Barre and perfect for comfort and style outside of the studio), Uplevel Athletics was actually born.  Born with the Mission to create innovative, technical gear to help you chase your edge and find your next milestone, whatever it is.  Our  apparel looks great and shows up for you when you show up for yourself. We’re about the messy, sweaty, in-between moments of falling out and coming back.  We’re here for the joy of the work that lets you level up from wherever you are right now. We value progress over perfection, it’s about the 99 times you tried it before finally nailing it, and we’re there for you all of the way.  

Our community is there for you too, we cheer each other on and embrace the ideal that it’s not always about the ‘peak pose’ - it’s about what you do in getting there. 

We are so excited to be here.  We are hard at work developing new products designed to help you Uplevel and we hope that you'll stay tuned for what's coming next. 

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for reading this.   We'd love to hear your story too. We'd love to hear what you’re working on and celebrate your wins with you. Join our community on Instagram @uplevelathletics or  connect with us directly at info@uplevelathletics.com to find out how you can get more involved.