Javelin Thrower and Olympian is Aiming for Gold with SOLIDWORKS

Every four years athletes from around the world gather to compete for a shot at becoming the world’s best. It’s a high-stakes stage where seconds and centimeters are the difference between glory and the agony of defeat. When smart athletes recognize the need for that extra step, they turn to the mathletes. In this case we’re talking about top Canadian javelin thrower and Olympian Liz Gleadle and SOLIDWORKS reseller Javelin Technologies.

Gleadle is currently ranked as the sixth best javelin thrower in the world and she’s got the skills to get on the podium in August. In 2015, she took the gold medal at the Toronto Pan Am Games and is the two-time defending champion of the Golden Grand Prix meet.

Since partnering with Javelin technologies in late 2015, Gleadle has been working with the company to develop 3D-printed products to aid in her quest to be the best. First the duo collaborated using eDrawings to build a custom storage device to keep her javelins safe in her carrier during travel. As you can imagine, traveling with giant stakes typically generates some attention at the airport. You can read about the javelin holder’s design process here.

Then the team created a device to help Gleadle’s training regimen: a 3D-printed physiotherapy device for fascial manipulation (just saying physiotherapy, fascial and manipulation in one sentence deserves a medal). Javelin AEs transformed Gleadle’s wish to have a training aid to help her work on tense back and shoulder muscles into a hand-shaped tool she named a Fascial Vector Release Device (FVRD). Now Gleadle can take the FVRD with her on the road and relieve strain when she is not with her physiotherapist. You can read about the FVRD’s design here.

Gleadle has a full schedule lined up before the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil including a trip to Paris and the Canadian National Championships in Edmonton. Certainly her new devices will come in handy in coming weeks and months.

You can follow Liz’s journey with Javelin here. Follow Liz on Twitter and Instagram at @Javelizz and show her your support, especially during the 2016 games. O Canada!