Canada’s Natasha Wodak has had an excellent profession on each the observe and the roads, and is thought of as one of the vital nation’s greatest-ever feminine distance runners. She has represented Canada at two Olympic Video games and holds the nationwide marathon file of two:23:12. In spite of her achievements, the health monitoring app Strava does now not appear to acknowledge their importance; it denied her a professional athlete subscription for 2024.
“It’s not that i am certain what hurts extra, now not making the Canadian Olympic group or getting rejected via Strava for my PRO badge renewal,” Wodak wrote on her Instagram.
A Strava Professional Athlete and Verified Badge gives a number of advantages, together with unique options on Strava, similar to complex analytics, efficiency insights and the power to create and percentage customized demanding situations or occasions free of charge. Professional athletes are highlighted on Strava, making it more uncomplicated for fanatics and fans to seek out and practice them. The badge exists to acknowledge public figures, noteworthy neighborhood developers and influential people around the globe.
Consistent with Strava, for a qualified runner to be licensed for a professional athlete badge, they should have accomplished a Global Athletics access same old previously 18 months or positioned within the best 5 at a countrywide championship (e.g. USA Observe & Box or Athletics Canada). An athlete should additionally supply evidence of economic reimbursement for coaching and athletic endeavours, whether or not via a trip stipend, coaching value stipend or wage from notable sponsors (e.g. Brooks, Asics, Nike).
In Wodak’s case, she meets either one of those verification standards, which is why the rejection e mail got here as a surprise. She certified and competed for Canada at the 2023 Global Athletics Championships in Budapest within the ladies’s marathon and has gained 3 Canadian nationwide titles within the remaining 18 months. Moreover, she receives monetary reimbursement via a qualified (salary-based) contract with Asics Canada.
Wodak took 3 photographs at making the Canadian marathon group for Paris 2024, however got here up only a few mins wanting the ladies’s marathon same old of two:26:50.
Strava’s pro-athlete neighborhood contains greater than 2,300 athletes from 195 international locations. This standing now not handiest acknowledges them as skilled athletes, but in addition supplies them with a complimentary Strava subscription and get admission to to a neighborhood of lively fans.
We reached out to Strava for a remark however didn’t obtain a reaction by the point of e-newsletter.