In a conversation with Ruben Mejia (executive vice-president, Americas at SportsArt), he spoke at length about what the company is doing to foster positive environmental and social change on campuses across the country. “Our products reflect SportsArt’s values, and we’ve been building a culture of sustainability well before it became mainstream,” he says. “And now that it is mainstream—now that college students want to get involved—we’re doing all we can to keep the positive momentum going.”
Mejia cites SportsArt’s student outreach initiative known as Campus Challenge. Campus Challenge invites college students to post a video on either Instagram or TikTok that includes the phrase “Challenge Accepted” with how they plan to promote more sustainability on their campus. Their video submissions are then identified by SportsArt when students include #SportsArtCampusChallengeSweepstakes and the tags @gosportsart (Instagram) and @SportsArtOnCampus (TikTok). All details can be found on the company website (https://www.gosportsart.com/campuschallenge/).
“The first year was an incredible success,” Mejia says. “Students responded in ways we didn’t anticipate, and so we’re doing it again. This time, we’re offering even more prizes. We want the Campus Challenge to become the norm, and we hope other companies see what we’re doing and come up with their own creative ways to inspire college students.” Prizes for the 2025 Campus Challenge equal more than $145,000 in ECO-POWR™ sustainable fitness equipment, with the Grand Prize valued at $75,000.
The inaugural Campus Challenge of 2024 was won by Cleveland State University (CSU). The university received seven pieces of SportsArt cardio equipment, all of which convert human energy into electricity. These state-of-the-art machines are now showcased in CSU’s rec center, where students can work out while giving back to the environment. SportsArt is even coordinating an event with CSU in correlation with Earth Day.
When it comes to student recruiting, Mejia notes that it’s common for colleges and universities to showcase their recreation and wellness centers during campus tours. “Schools are using our equipment, specifically, to illustrate the institution’s commitment to sustainability. Imagine the impact of being a parent or prospective student on a campus tour, and then you’re told that the school’s gym is an actual powerplant, that the equipment generates its own energy as you use it. It’s a great way to get them excited and engaged.”
Mejia takes a balcony view in considering broader cultural shifts among the student body and how this translates to the service of others. “There’s plenty of data around Gen Z students. They really care about their own values, and they’re not interested in wasting time or money with businesses or organizations that don’t align with their values.”
SportsArt listens and takes action when students reach out. Consider the case of Elina Pipa at Brown University. During a Climate Solutions course, Pipa researched and developed a policy brief that identified a specific climate problem and solution. Her goal was to bring exercise equipment equal to the task of making a tangible and sustainable impact on her campus. Thanks to Pipa’s proposal, Brown’s Nelson Fitness Center piloted the use of SportsArt’s ECO-POWR™ equipment. “We want students to be able to compare our equipment to what they’re accustomed to, and to show them that not only are the biomechanics similar to what they already have, but that ours save and even generate electricity.” The Center offers multiple pieces of energy-generating equipment, including treadmills, steppers, and ellipticals.
SportsArt understands that a green planet can’t be built overnight. It takes collaboration, and the company is excited for student to play a sizeable role in this process.
