In the world of athletics, there are hundreds of brands, influencers, products and accounts to follow and keep up with. Each may have their own story, but how often is there an opportunity to watch one build from the ground up?
Nick Knopf, a Maryland native, is a sport and exercise psychology major, with a minor in business administration. While researching different schools, Knopf wanted somewhere that was new to him along with offering a degree similar to kinesiology, the study of body movements. West Virginia University happened to fulfill his passion.
Knopf swam year-round throughout high school, which is one of the reasons he has such an interest in sport and exercise psychology.
“When I used to swim in high school, I experienced a lot of anxiety anytime that I had to race. I could never figure out how I could mentally prepare myself to feel confident,” he said.
“So, while I wanted to find a program like kinesiology, I figured I could learn more about the athletes' mind in my program. I want to guide others along the way to help make them feel more comfortable,” Knopf added.
While his swimming days are over, Knopf finds that fitness will always be a passion of his. He currently helps others discover a healthy lifestyle and workouts that are best suited for their body. He’s started his own brand, Disruptive Athletics, to promote health and wellness.
“Disruptive Athletics came from an idea my buddies and I had. We wanted to create a brand that could empower individuals to improve their lives in a healthy way. It seems to me at least, that we are living more and more sedentary lives and it’s destroying us. Our motto is ‘break the cycle’,” said Knopf.
Disruptive Athletics’ team consists of Knopf and his two friends, Naod Michael and Ankit Sharma. Michael studies biochemistry at the University of Maryland and Sharma studies business at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland.
As the partners finish their degrees, Knopf hopes that Disruptive Athletics becomes a bigger brand in the next few years.
“The future of Disruptive Athletics is exciting for us. We hope to launch a full website that will have an online shop to provide top of the line apparel. We plan to launch a blog that will give recipes, tips and workouts,” said Knopf.
To stay current with Disruptive Athletics follow them on Instagram, @DisruptiveAthletics.