At The House of Marketing, we like clean presentations, successful projects and strong teamwork. But did you know we also love sports? More so, we even have a Sports @ THoM initiative, set up by THoMer Lise, Alexandre and myself. Here's my story!

Sports x marketing 

Sports are the one thing I love the most. As a child I never sat still and combined multiple disciplines. Therefore it was a logical choice to study sports sciences. But don’t be fooled, I didn’t want to become a sports teacher or fitness coach. On the contrary, I’ve always been interested in the marketing and communication behind sports clubs and brands. Hence why it was a small step to start working at The House of Marketing.

Close together 

The House of Marketing and a sports club have a lot in common. No, we do not walk around in flashy jogging suits or squeaky sneakers. What we do share is passion, a sense of togetherness and the belief in the power of collaboration. To spark this collaborative mindset, I wanted to introduce an initiative that would reinforce the team spirit at work, while adding the benefit of working out. Enter Sports @ THoM.

From couch potato to Sporty Spice 

During my studies, I learned how to coach and motivate groups. Hence why this project was a perfect challenge. It’s a way to make colleagues bond, but also apply my knowledge in real life. So I teamed up with some enthusiasts to get the project up and running. The result? Three groups that work out together: ‘plankthom’ (swimming), ‘pelothom’ (cycling) and ‘marathom’ (running). These workouts not only keep us fit and healthy, they also make it easier for colleagues to motivate each other and share experiences and best practices. It very often happens that new ideas pop up during our sessions. A real win-win! 

But it doesn’t end there. With our company we also joined the Ten Miles and the Trio Triatlon, and we’ve planned to take part in the Air Games. The goal of Sports @ THoM is to include everyone, also the people that don’t necessarily like sports. That is why we want to organize workshops on various aspects of healthy living. Think yoga or an introduction to Krav Magna, or a session on healthy food and nutrition. Anything goes!

Group feeling first 

Where does that love for sport come from, you might wonder? As I said before, collaboration is very important to me. Engaging in a social setting, sharing the same goals and seeing results as a group is what attracts me to sports. As a team you have to take into account the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and try to cross the finish line together. This awareness also helps me every day as a THoMer. Respecting everyone's talents and not being afraid to ask for or give help is what makes a project successful. So for those who think sports are rather ‘meh’: get up, get moving and push your limits. You never know what it might bring you!