Javelin Technologies Providing Support and 3D Design Expertise to Canadian Olympic Athlete Liz Gleadle

OAKVILLE, ON--(Marketwired - April 07, 2016) - The 3D design and 3D printing specialists at Javelin Technologies are learning how much they have in common with the Canadian athlete they are now sponsoring -- besides the fact that she throws "javelin." 

That athlete is Liz Gleadle, Canada's top female javelin thrower and record-holder. At the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, on Gleadle's last throw -- and last chance to win -- she drew on years of training, nerves of steel, and the high voltage home crowd to deliver a clutch throw of 62.83 metres, capturing the gold medal.

It was that moving performance that caught the attention of Canadians and the interest of Javelin Technologies managing director John Carlan.

"At first, it was just the 'javelin' connection that made me curious," Carlan says. "When we dug a little deeper, we found that our values really matched up -- be the best that you can be, rely on training and technique, dare to be different. Once we talked to Liz, and found her to be a genuinely terrific person, the deal was done. We had to throw our support behind her."

Strongly focused on training and ongoing support, Javelin is a reseller for SolidWorks® CAD (computer-aided design) software and a full range of Stratasys 3D printers that can produce finely detailed, true-to-life models and parts. As two of Javelin's leading partners, SolidWorks and Stratasys have also come on board to lend support and encouragement to Gleadle.

Aiming high with team support

The Javelin Technologies tagline, "Aim High," and hashtag (#aimhigh) will be the linchpin of sponsorship activities. Carlan says that connecting Javelin Technologies to Gleadle, including her impressive accomplishments and devotion to her training regimen, has already been inspiring to Javelin's employees and customers. And Gleadle says the parallels between achievement in business and in sport are clear.

"Success is not achieved alone, even in what appears to be a solo sport," Gleadle says. "While the athlete is the one in the spotlight, it takes an entire team to get her there. I work closely with my coach and physiotherapists and surround myself with people who will make me better. Aiming high in business takes that same drive to be the best you can be, and that same ability to work together as a team. I've seen that in the Javelin employees I met and I'm enjoying working with them on some cool projects. Their creativity and energy is contagious."

Helping with travel and training

Gleadle is collaborating with Javelin's applications experts on two 3D design projects: an insert for her carrying case to keep her cherished javelins safe and a custom physiotherapy aid to relieve tense muscles. Using the eDrawings SOLIDWORKS viewer, Gleadle can see design iterations in 3D, and is able to move and rotate the parts and assembly on screen. She adds her remarks right in the file.

In another project, Javelin's simulation specialists will use SolidWorks Motion to analyze Gleadle's javelin throw. They'll study measurements such as balance point, release angle, initial speed, and drag.

"We are buzzing about all the ways we can connect Liz with our own people and with our customers," Carlan reports. "And just about everyone has an emotional connection to international sport and the Olympics, whether it's patriotism, or being inspired by people who perform under pressure, or that never-quit attitude."

Gleadle is currently ranked fifth in the world in her sport. In May 2015, she broke her own Canadian record (throwing 64.83 metres, a personal best) while winning the Golden Grand Prix meet in Japan. She finished second at the Zurich Diamond League final, beating two of the medal winners from the 2015 World Championship. Gleadle's Olympic experience includes the 2012 London Olympics, where she finished 12th in the finals. She will compete for Canada in the Rio Olympics this summer.

Another connection to elite sport

The Javelin team first caught the spirit of international athletics with customer HUDSON Boat Works. HUDSON is a Canadian manufacturer of world class rowing shells, designed using SolidWorks 3D design tools. Since 1984, HUDSON boats have won more than 80 medals at the Olympics and World Rowing Championships; in 2015, Pan Am athletes, most of them Canadian, won 11 medals in HUDSON boats. 

"It all fits together really nicely," Carlan says. "Millimetres matter -- in 3D design, in rowing, and in javelin. With Liz, it's just like the way we help our customers -- they do all the hard work; we are in the background supporting them when they need help with our products. She is driven to be the best on the planet -- we just hope that we can help her a little bit along the way."

Javelin's online home is www.javelin-tech.com and Liz Gleadle is on Instagram and Twitter as @javelizz.

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