13 Jan WELCOME 2021
Welcome to 2021,
We made it! As a company we’ve survived our toughest year ever, financially and emotionally. In comparison, 2021 looks bright. Well, let’s not be naïve, it won’t be bright, but we are smarter, stronger and more united than we have ever been. The outlook could not be more positive. As painful as 2020 was, in a strange way I have come to treasure it.
Before we move on, I want to take this opportunity to thank my dear team, for their resilience, commitment and determination to stand by MetaSport. Overnight our revenue had simply dropped to zero, and nearly everyone had to be retrenched. There was no moment more heartwarming for me in the 16 years of MetaSport’s history than the day when everyone in our team offered to work unpaid to ensure MetaSport survived to fight another day. A very humbling human experience.
Humbling experiences went on from there: with our training squad members, the MetaMates, who stayed onboard, always positive and offering support; our coaches who stuck with us and wrote online programmes for our members when physical sessions were cancelled; our event participants, who saw their event entry fee rolled over without visibility, yet showed so much patience and faith in our capacity to resume the sport and the events they love; our loyal sponsors and partners who renewed their commitment and trusted us to deliver when good times return; our suppliers and contractors who extended their credit terms or even waived their fee; and last but not least, Sport Singapore that believed in our capacity to innovate and transform.
To all these great individuals and organizations, I am forever grateful and determined not to disappoint you.
And it starts now, in January 2021!
2020 was such a powerful catalyst for transformation. We have developed the capacity to deliver a new generation of events, powered by our new racing app. Events that can exist in pandemic times, that are cheaper to enter, that are less intimidating for newer athletes, that give you flexibility and allow you to race at the time you choose.
Yes, we know you like the traditional mass-participation events and the social atmosphere that goes with them, and we do too. These will remain, but expect some evolution there. As people who love the outdoors, we often discussed how to make our events more environment-friendly. Reading that the Covid pandemic drove a record drop of 7% in global carbon emissions in 2020 was the trigger we needed. So that’s it, there is no turning back for us. Our contribution might be a drop in the ocean, but it will be a drop we are proud of, which will add extra meaning to what we do, and (hopefully) what you do.
Our company and our team are still standing, and it’s for one simple reason: making life better is the backbone of our company’s existence. We now have the extra drive, fueled by all the goodwill we benefited from in 2020, to make this next step. We pride ourselves for having contributed positively to the physical and emotional well-being of many of our event participants and athletes. Yet we are conscious of the increasing societal issues concerning mental health and believe that our sport offerings can provide an inclusive and empowering platform to address some of these concerns. Seeing so many people running and cycling in parks and on the roads in the last few months is testimony to this.
So join us for the next phase of our journey! It’s going to be exciting.
Nathalie
