Inspiring Conversations with Marina Paul of SPRHRA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marina Paul

Hi Marina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story starts as a young girl growing up in Southern California. My memories are all of playing outside and playing sports with my friends, my brother and my parents. We were always bouncing around doing a ton of activities.

I was a goofy and super passionate girl, who loved to go all-out in everything I did. I got a soccer scholarship to Georgetown University, my dream school. This is embarrassing, but I first heard about Georgetown in a movie with a Disney Channel actress. I looked it up, and was like, “I’m going to find a way to go there.” So I did.

My college experience is truly where the idea for my female athlete sportswear company, SPRHRA (Superhera), all began. I loved the high-pressure environment of the academics and athletics, but it was also super challenging. I struggled with anxiety to perform at the highest level — both in athletics and academics. This ultimately turned into eating disorders, which were a way for me to have control over my anxiety.

On top of this, the restrictive and ill-fitting sportswear we were given for soccer made my body feel like it didn’t fit the sport. The fact that I didn’t feel like I fit the sport, couldn’t have been further from the truth. I saw how my teammates tugged and re-shaped their sportswear, just so they could feel good enough.

The sportswear we wore on the field didn’t match the performance level that we needed when we played. It didn’t make us feel good, and it didn’t give us the confidence we needed to play well. I thought surely someone would make sportswear for female athletes.

Outside of my mental health and two back-to-back ACL injuries, I had a phenomenal soccer experience. I had some of the greatest teammates to learn from, who are now some of my best friends. I’m most proud of myself for battling 2 back-to-back ACL injuries, taking a 5th year (extra year of eligibility) and captaining our #25 ranked soccer team to our first-ever Final Four.

All of these experiences led me to write my book, “Becoming a Superhero.” I wanted to move on from my trauma. Writing about what I had experienced and interviewing women I aspired to be like, was how I did that. “Becoming a Superhero: Awaken Your Superpowers and Inspire the Magic in Others” is about the journey to understanding who you uniquely are. It’s a call to action for every woman to find their Freedom to Perform.

That call to action, for me, was starting my dream company, SPRHRA.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road is never smooth, and to be honest, if it is, I don’t want it. It’s tough to understand in the moment, but every ‘no’, every bad decision I make, or every negative thing that happens to me, has helped me grow that much better.

My biggest obstacle has always been choosing my response to negative situations. Some things just suck. Learning a hard lesson, like trusting someone who completely takes advantage of you, sucks. Having your production company go bankrupt and tearing your ACL in the same day, sucks. And, I’m better for all of it. I got lucky to learn some of these hard lessons so early on.

I always have a powerful internal emotional response to negative situations. I’m human! I let myself get it out, usually alone, in my car or during a workout. I have to release the tension. Then I turn the practical part of my brain on to figure out what I learned and what I should do next.

Part of starting a company is knowing you’re going to experience struggles. I think it’s a great set-up for life. Ultimately, starting SPRHRA has showed me that I can and will get through anything. If I can have faith it anything, it’s that I’ll make it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about SPRHRA?
SPRHRA is a female athlete sportswear brand whose mission is to give female athletes the freedom to perform. We are revolutionizing the future of elite female athletic gear to improve athletes’ performance, comfort, and well-being.

The women’s sports industry will generate $1.28 billion in 2024. Yet, female athletes don’t have sportswear that fits them. 70% drop out of sport due to clothing and body image concerns. 74% don’t think they look like an athlete. 75%+ say sportswear contributes to negative body image.

We’re changing that. We own the research by analyzing female athletes’ performance and health data. We perfect the product fit using AI sizing technology and feedback from elite athletes. We disrupt the poor customer experience that comes with ordering team uniforms.

I am most proud of the feedback we’ve received from the female athletes who play in our gear. Hearing that SPRHRA makes them feel good in their bodies while they play, and seeing their resulting winning seasons, shows that what we’re building has winning and long-term impact.

I am also proud that we work with some of the top athletic universities in the country, whether that be collecting health data through surveys with University of Notre Dame, launching with Lids U in the Georgetown University Bookstore, or having our volleyball gear tested with the top Big 10 volleyball programs, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Penn State University, and Michigan State University.

I want readers to know that if they’ve ever played sports and had sportswear that made them feel less than, they’re not alone. We want their help to build sportswear that they can feel incredible in, and that truly helps their performance and well-being.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My parents had a small Grady White boat when I was growing up. We would take it out on the ocean and zip through big waves. My stomach dropped every time our boat caught air. I didn’t know when we were going to drop back into the water. I loved being on the ocean, feeling the salty spray as we zipped through it, and looking out to the horizon in wonder. I got really lucky to grow up in Southern California and on the water.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sprhra.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sprhra_/