Nutrilite sponsored athlete Ronaldinho will soon begin to appear as a part of an advertising campaign geared toward Hispanic Americans throughout the United States.

The award winning soccer star, who plays for AC Milan and was recently part of the bronze medal winning Brazilian team in Beijing doesn't just say he endorses the Nutrilite brand and the Team Nutrilite philosophy; he actually uses the products and believe in the philosophy to help him get the most out of what nature gave him - both on and off the field.

Starting October 10 and running through December 31, 2008 a total of 213, 30-second spots will appear on top Spanish language television stations. There will be just the one spot, with a focus on building awareness for Nutrilite.  The message is simple - Unleash your natural potential with Nutrilite.

The ads will run on Univision (available in 114 million households) and Fox Sports en Espanol (available in 16 million households). Watch for the spot during Futbol Liga Mexicana, CONCACAF Champions League and Contacto Deportivo on Univision and during coverage of the Premiere League and Futbol de Italia along with various ancillary sports programming on Fox Sports en Espanol.

In conjunction with the TV ad, a Spanish language micro site will launch.  Nutrilite80.com will feature information on Nutrilite Daily Multivitamin, Rhodiola 110 and Kids Multivitamin as well as who Amway Global and Nutrilite are.  Coming in a few weeks will be the addition of a viral campaign - EveryKickCounts.com.  Stay tuned for more information.

How much is your health worth?

Interesting question... and according to an article in the Sept. 22, 2008 issue of TIME magazine (page 74) investing in healthy living now may add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars later in life.

Here are a couple of interesting points from the article:

-- "Most people save for retirement by focusing on their wealth. But you may accomplish more by focusing on your health. That's because the out-of-pocket costs for diseases that may be avoidable through diet and exercise can be staggering. Getting and staying fit now may be worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars later--a sum that just might exceed the carefully crafted stockpile in your 401(k)."

-- "Obese people spend a third more than fit people on health services and three-quarters more on medications..."

-- "Not buying cigarettes alone can add up to more than $100,000 if you stop at age 40 and invest the difference conservatively until age 65."

-- "Get moving. Exercise and diet are keys to avoiding high blood pressure and heart disease, which together have annual costs to the individual of $606, according to Nationwide's analysis. Investing that sum for 25 years may provide more than $35,000."

If you don't have a copy of TIME magazine, you can read the full article here on TIME's website.

So, how are you investing in your health?? 

After being down for a few weeks, I wasn't quite sure where to start with this blog entry...

As I sat back and reflected on our time apart, it occurred to me that the whole ethos of the movement we watched unfold over the last few weeks is based on faith in progress and excellence. This seems like an appropriate place to start, because I truly believe that Nutrilite is the finest example in the vitamin, mineral and supplement market of progress and excellence - constantly striving to the best of nature, best of science.

Because of this, we are incredibly particular about the athletes we sponsor... All of our athletes compete on the world's biggest stages, and due to the nature of these high-profile events, every day they are held to higher standards then athletes in many other professional sports. I guess you could say that's why they are such a great fit with the Nutrilite brand, which also holds itself to higher standards then its competitors in the vitamin, mineral & supplement market.

Right now our excitement and pride for our sponsored athletes is so great, that it's something we feel should be shared with the entire country... and that's exactly what we're going to do!

Today’s issue of USA TODAY will feature a full-page, four-color ad that highlights four of our Team Nutrilite athletes and congratulates them on their recent successes. The ad points out that what "these 2008 medal-winning athletes have in common" is NUTRILITE® vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements.

'Tis the season for all of our Team Nutrilite athletes to make and create headlines.  From Asafa Powell's pending battle with fellow countryman Usain Bolt in Stockholm to Jenn Stuczynski's much anticipated clash with Yelena Isinbayeva and Liu Xiang's quest to retake the top spot to Ronaldinho's heralded move to AC Milan it is a time of anticipation and high visibility for our athletes. 

Keep up on all of their latest achievements both here and all over the Internet. A quick, simple search on each athlete's name via Google will bring you the latest news and views from around the world...

This past weekend - on the shores of Lake Michigan in beautiful Grand Haven, Michigan - one of the largest outdoor beach pole vaulting events in the world took place with a brand new presenting sponsor - Nutrilite. 

Following is an excerpt from the press release that went out around the area announcing the event:

The Grand Haven Beach Vault presented by Nutrilite brings in nationally-ranked pole vaulters from all over the country and Michigan, along with their families and spectators. This event is also USA Track & Field (USATF) sanctioned and insured.

“We are proud to sponsor premier athletic events and love when we have the opportunity to team up with ones that are local, like the Grand Haven Beach Vault competition,” said Brian Geers, Manager - Health Marketing for Quixtar North America/Amway Global. “Events like this are a great representation of our commitment to optimal health, which is all about reaching your potential through good nutrition, including supplementation and exercise.”

“Quixtar North America/Amway Global is right in our backyard and one of the largest companies in West Michigan, with a national and international influence. Its Nutrilite brand has reached out to people in the track and field arena and is committed to the health conscious, which makes it a great fit for the Grand Haven Beach Vault,” said Kevin Patterson, co-founder of the Grand Haven Beach Vault.

The 2008 Grand Haven Beach Vault presented by Nutrilite took place at City Beach in Grand Haven, Michigan on Friday, July 11 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Saturday, July 12 from 9:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.  More information about the Grand Haven Beach Vault is available at http://grandhavenbeachvault.com/. Nutrilite handed out free products and giveaways at the event, including products from our newest line, Nutrilite Sports Nutrition.

Look for photos from the event in the next day or so...

The Wall Street Journal recently gave the performance stats and achievement records of 79 male athletes to a panel of 5 judges, and asked them to rank the competitors based on six criteria: speed; vision and reflex; stamina and recovery; coordination and flexibility; power, strength and size; and success and competitiveness.

The result? Well, it includes two Team Nutrilite athletes and the one male left off (though still recognized as the leader in one of the performance categories) may well run himself back into the Top 10 in the very near future.

Without further ado - The Journal's Top 10.

This past weekend marked the 34th annual Nike Prefontaine Classic track & field event, held in Eugene, Oregon.  Team Nutrilite was there once again, proudly displaying the Nutrilite brand amongst all the action.   As the crowd cheered on, Sanya Richards raced to yet another Women's 400-meter victory with a time of 50.10.  This excitement carried on in the Nutrilite tent as race attendees patiently waited for Sanya's autograph.  In addition to Sanya, attendees also had a chance to meet Asafa Powell.  Liu Xiang, who was a tentative participant in the 110-meter Hurdles, decided just prior to his race that he would indeed be running.  However, he was disqualified after a false start.   When asked what happened, Liu stated "nothing happened.  I didn't even realize I had the false start." 

 As we wrapped up our final track & field sponsored-event prior to the Olympic trials, the Nutrilite team was able to provide consumers with a broader knowledge of of who we are!  People were very excited about the Rhodiola 110, the new Energy Bars and the Sports Drinks that have been provided at each event.  This track and field season has been a great success for Nutrilite.  We hope you had a chance to either be a participant at an event or share in the excitement from your own home!  We'd love to hear your feedback about any of the events. 

 Continue to cheer for our athletes as they enter into the summer events, each of them with the ultimate goal in site...

The Reebok Grand Prix was the site of two more victories for Jenn Stuczynski and Sanya Richards.  Despite the severe storms and lengthy delays, Jenn vaulted to yet another victory while Sanya breezed to a win in the 400-meter Sprint. Liu Xiang pulled out of the 110-meter hurdle event due to a tight hamstring, but graciously addressed his supporters in the stands.  

Jenn slightly missed the 16 ft, 5-1/2 inch mark while attempting to go for the world record in the Pole Vault event.  She still managed to beat the field by nearly a foot to take first place honors.   Sanya was also a winner in her event with a time of 50.04 - a whole 2/3 of a second faster than her next competition. 

Link to article on Jenn Stuczynski

http://query.nytimes.com/beta/search/query?query=reebok+grand+prix&srchst=cse