Period care brand August is teaming up with USA Track and Field on a multiyear partnership.
Through the deal, August will supply menstrual care products to all Team USATF International Team Kits and to its medical professionals through 2025.
“Even at the elite level, most of those athletes are still getting their periods and it’s a huge consideration in training, too, and before now USATF hadn’t really had free period products provided to team members, especially when they’re traveling,” said Nadya Okamoto, cofounder and chief executive officer of August.
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Okamoto and the August team began providing the products at last year’s outdoor world championships in Eugene, Ore.
“We are so proud to welcome August as USATF’s official period product supplier,” said USATF CEO Max Siegel in a statement. “The idea to provide necessary menstrual hygiene products was initiated by athletes on our Athletes Advisory Council and is just one of several efforts USATF is making to alleviate costs for our athletes and make it easier for them to compete and succeed.”
This marks August’s latest initiative to make period care more accessible. Okamoto recently formed the Tampon Tax Back Coalition with several other feminine care brands to reimburse customers the tax amount placed on menstrual products. With the USATF partnership, Okamoto is aiming to create a larger conversation around sports and menstruation.
“Over 50 percent of girls drop out of sports before they’re 14 in comparison to like the 10 percent of boys,” she said. “This [partnership] allows August to connect with athletes at a higher level to hear their stories and amplify their stories of being an athlete on their period.”
With this in mind, the August team will be collaborating with USATF to create content highlighting athletes’ stories.
“It’s an essential part in training,” Okamoto said. “We’re excited for that meaningful, substantive interview content, but then also doing fun TikTok trends highlighting the resilience of being able to be on your period and do all these things, like anything you can do, I can do bleeding sort of thing.”
