Record-breaking 12-months for national swimming star capped off with Team Bridgestone Australia appointment
BRISBANE, Queensland (14 December, 2019) – Swimming sensation and Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 medal hopeful, Ariarne Titmus has joined Team Bridgestone Australia, rounding out a record breaking year for the rising star. Titmus' appointment as a Team Bridgestone Australia athlete was announced on the anniversary of her first world record in the women's 400m freestyle event at the 2018 FINA World Swimming Championships in China, and less than a month after being named 'Swimmer of the Year' by Swimming Australia.
Titmus will represent Bridgestone, the world's largest tyre and rubber company, and Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner, looking to chase her dream of winning an Olympic gold medal in the upcoming Olympic Games, which will be hosted in Bridgestone's global home city. In the coming months, she will encourage and inspire Australians through community driven activations as a Team Bridgestone Australia athlete.
"It's been a massive year for me, both in and out of the pool, and capping it off by becoming a Team Bridgestone Australia athlete is the perfect way to round it out," said Ariarne Titmus. "I can't imagine a better way to celebrate the anniversary of my first world record than joining Bridgestone to spread the 'Chase Your Dream' message."
Bridgestone aims to ignite the passion within Australians by using its Team Bridgestone Australia athletes to spread the company's global 'Chase Your Dream' message. Titmus joins three-time Olympian basketballer Joe Ingles, Olympic gold medallist runner Cathy Freeman, surfer Connor O'Leary, and reigning wheelchair tennis-doubles Olympic gold medallist Heath Davidson in spreading the message through a series of activities around the country.
"I wouldn't be where I am today without self-belief, as well as the support of my team around me. I'm excited to partner with Bridgestone to help inspire the next generation of athletes and show what is possible when you dream, set goals and work hard," she added. "Swimming begins on a community level, and I believe it's important to give back to the sport on a grassroots level."
Bridgestone Australia's activities in support of the Olympic and Paralympic Games are underpinned by the company's global commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, known as 'Our Way to Serve'. Through the 'Our Way to Serve' initiative, Bridgestone aims to improve the way people move, live, work and play. Furthermore, the Olympic and Paralympic Games venue that will host all swimming events in which Titmus is likely to compete, the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, benefits from Bridgestone seismic isolation bearings installed in its construction.
"We're honoured to have Ariarne Titmus join Team Bridgestone Australia. She embodies the 'Chase Your Dream' spirit, and I have no doubt that Australians are as excited to follow her Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 journey as much as we are," said Bridgestone Australia & New Zealand Managing Director, Stephen Roche. "Her passion and determination has seen her rise through the swimming ranks and we're thrilled to help her share her story through our Olympic Games activity.
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About Bridgestone's "Our Way to Serve" initiative:
"Our Way to Serve" aims to inspire Bridgestone teammates to continue doing great work, by continuing to do good for the world. "Our Way to Serve" organizes Bridgestone's CSR efforts under three Priority Areas: Mobility; People; and Environment. "Our Way to Serve" reflects the company's longstanding philosophy of "Serving Society with Superior Quality" and a recognition that the best companies not only perform for their stakeholders, but also contribute to a better world.
From our beginnings in the 1930s, our founder, Shojiro Ishibashi, believed that a business that contributes to society would do well by doing good. Today, this is more important than ever, with mounting social and environmental challenges threatening the planet and the quality of life of all people living on it. Now, as a global leader, the Bridgestone Group is committed to serving society by improving access to smart, safe transportation, building healthy, resilient communities, and minimizing our environmental impact. Looking forward, we remain committed to driving innovation around mobility, people, and the environment – so that we can continue to serve society with superior quality for generations to come.
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About Bridgestone Australia Ltd.:
Bridgestone Australia is a major supplier to the Australasian automotive industry, providing an extensive range of quality tyres, carefully developed to suit local conditions. The company is supported by an employee network of more than 1,500 people across Australia and New Zealand. Bridgestone Australia also manufactures, wholesales and retails quality truck retread products through Bandag Pty Limited, the world's leading retread brand. Bandag products complement the Bridgestone tyre range and provide a reliable solution for truck fleet customers.
About Bridgestone Corporation's Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partnerships:
Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world's largest tyre and rubber company and operates with a mission of "Serving Society with Superior Quality." Bridgestone proudly became a Worldwide Olympic Partner in 2014 and a Worldwide Paralympic Partner in 2018. The company has global rights to the Olympic Movement and Paralympic Movement through to 2024, a period that includes the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022 and Paris 2024. Bridgestone is dedicated to delivering products, services and solutions that improve the way people move, live, work and play, and its commitment to the Olympic Movement and Paralympic Movement continues a history of sport and innovation dating back more than 100 years. Bridgestone activities related to its Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partnerships are guided by a global "Chase Your Dream" message, which intends to inspire people to overcome obstacles and persevere in pursuit of their goals. As a worldwide partner, Bridgestone has marketing rights that include its full range of tyres, tyre services and selected automotive vehicle services, self-propelled bicycles, seismic isolation bearings, and a variety of building and industrial products.
About Team Bridgestone and Team Bridgestone Australia:
Athletes are the driving force of the Olympic Games and represent the heart of the Olympic Movement. They are also Bridgestone customers who put in countless hours on the road, day in and day out, traveling to and from training and competition, no matter the distance or weather conditions. In the lead up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, Bridgestone is proudly supporting athletes who embody the company's "Chase Your Dream" message and will serve as the face of Bridgestone activities as Team Bridgestone.
Team Bridgestone Australia will represent Bridgestone through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) driven projects leading up to and during Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. Sydney 2000 Gold Medallist and Australian Olympic icon Cathy Freeman, NBA star and three-time Boomer representative Joe Ingles, rising star in the brand new Olympic sport of surfing, 2017 World Surfing League Rookie of the Year Connor O'Leary, defending wheelchair tennis Paralympic gold medallist, Heath Davidson, and rising swimming sensation, Ariarne Titmus, have been named members of Team Bridgestone Australia.
