The Green Athlete

What is "The Green Athlete?"

The Green Athlete, an International campaign led by Pro Triathlete Chris Lieto, provides resources and ideas that support athletes in their effort to live green. The Green Athlete campaign encourages athletes of all levels and abilities who lead busy lives and want to make small changes that add up to big results. A core component of the campaign, The Green Athlete Blog, provides weekly tips that cover everything from where to recycle your running shoes to what food choices will help make a difference. Join us with our International crusade as we bring together athletes of all levels and abilities to make proactive environmentally friendly choices and changes a part of their athletic lifestyle!

Ride your bike to work!

Many of us spend hours on a bike when we train and then we jump in the car to drive to work.  Get yourself a new bike this year, and no not another bike for training or racing.  Invest in a great commuter bike like Trek's Cruiser. Laid-back bikes that are fun to ride and easy to maintain, with retro styles, modern components, rustproof chains, and the coolest colors and graphics.

Take a shorter shower!

As an athlete, chances are you take more than one shower a day.  So we are twice as guilty when it comes to the overuse of water. Simple solution - take a shorter shower. And definitely turn the water off whie shaving your legs. In doing so you will save water and the energy it takes to heat it which in turn reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

What to do with old sneakers?

Got a pair (or a pile) of old sneakers that are too worn out to give to charity? Nike will recycle any brand of athletic shoe through its Reuse-a-Shoe program. You can drop shoes off at any Niketown store or Nike Factory store; the company also has other drop-off spots, and if there’s not one near you, you can mail shoes in. (Get details on the Nike Web site.) The company processes and recycles the footwear to make sports surfaces for basketball courts, tennis courts, running tracks and playgrounds. Right now they’re collecting shoes to make athletic surfaces for New Orleans, to help bring youth sports back to the city as it rebuilds. To date, about 20 million pairs of athletic shoes worldwide have been recycled through the Reuse-A-Shoe program.