Berkeley small business donated uniforms to Ukrainian Olympians
BERKELEY, Calif. - If you’re watching men’s gymnastics at the Paris Olympics, you might catch a local logo.
Turn Gymnastics, a small business out of Berkeley, designs gymnastics uniforms. The owner, David Eaton, is going out of his way to show support for Ukrainian Olympians by donating uniforms.
Eaton said he sponsors teams all over the world, including Team Canada which is also competing in the Paris Olympics, but this year he decided to send special support to Ukraine.
"I was a gymnast at Cal back in the day," he said. "As a gymnast myself, I know what it feels like to have a uniform that really means something to you."
Eaton started his apparel business 12 years ago to bring more recognition to male gymnasts.
He donated $10,000 worth of technical apparel for men’s gymnastics to Team Ukraine.
"We did team uniforms, and for a couple of the top athletes who competing in individual finals, we worked together closely with the athletes and coaches to create something really unique for them that they were inspired by and we brought to life," he said.
The people of Ukraine have a special place in his heart. When he participated in the sport, Eaton was trained by a Ukrainian coach.
He’s been working with the team since 2017, but his support intensified just in time for the Paris Olympics.
"With everything that’s going on in the world today, it took a different level, a different meaning, and at that point we were able to increase our support to the team," he said.
It was especially difficult to deliver the team uniforms because of the ongoing conflict.
"It was very difficult to ship into there so we used our connections to get things in by ground," he said.
Eaton said he had a Ukrainian business partner in the UK drive through the Polish border with the uniforms and hand-deliver the apparel to the team.
It was all worth it when he saw his designs come to life.
"I’m very proud to see the guys walking out from a few months before when I’m developing with them and creating the design on my computer and then seeing it out on TV and being worn at the biggest level," said Eaton.
Viewers watching the Olympics can catch the men’s gymnastics apparatus finals where Team Ukraine will be sporting Berkeley’s Turn Gymnastics apparel over the weekend.
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