While sponsorship remains one of the most crucial avenues for athletes to earn a living, not everyone is so lucky to top the prospect list of the top brands. For Dylan Beard, his hopes of finding a name to rally behind his cause were even more bleak. In track sports, if you’re not one of the fastest stars, chances are you’ll be lost in the crowd. However, an unexpected savior rose to the responsibility of helping the 25-year-old pursue his dreams, and the community couldn’t be happier.
Beard is a Walmart employee who works in the deli section at the company’s New York City store. This year’s winner of the prestigious Milrose Games, Beard was backed by Walmart itself at last Sunday’s Paris Diamond League and fans are understandably elated to see him finding the support.
Beard showed up in Stade Charléty in blue gear, sponsored by Walmart for the 110mH event last weekend. The decision was made by the store chain following last month’s Team Trials, where Beard finished fifth in the men’s 110mH semi-final race. Dylan announced the news of his new sponsors in an Instagram post a week earlier as he wrote, “While I may not yet be an Olympian, I’m proud to leave the US Olympic Trials as an official Walmart Sponsored Athlete.”
And now, the fans have taken up the opportunity to note their elation to see how Walmart has stepped up to walk the road with one of their very own. “Very boss move! I hope this becomes the norm,” said Percy on X after coming to know how Dylan looked in the blue drip in Paris last weekend.