World Record Holder Nick Mayhugh Tapped as Face of Puma Running

Decorated paralympic athlete Nick Mayhugh has been signed to Puma’s running division.

Signed to IMG models, Mayhugh made his Paralympic Games debut in 2021. There, at the Tokyo 2020 Games, he set a world record of 10.95 in the Men’s 100m T37 event. By the end of the games, he had taken home three gold medals.

“Nick’s story is inspiring for many reasons; his grit, determination and desire to become the fastest athlete is something everyone can admire,” Puma’s director of sports marketing Pascal Rolling said. “We have such an exciting year ahead of us and we are looking to writing more stories and breaking many more records together.”

Before sprint running, Mayhugh already was an accomplished soccer player. After playing soccer since the age of 4, in 2019 he was named the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year with a Disability. That year, he had competed at the Parapan American Games as a midfielder for the United States Para 7-a-side National Team.

In 2010, after suffering a seizure, he was diagnosed with a mild form of cerebral palsy.

Mayhugh intends to compete in the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 for Team USA. He joins names like Usain Bolt and Molly Seidel.

“Puma is synonymous with speed, and representing the fastest athletes in the world,” Mayhugh said. “For me to be going into one of the most important years of my career, with Puma on my feet, it’s a blessing.”

The 76-year-old brand made its name in specialized footwear for specific sports, namely soccer. In 2021, the company re-entered the running market.

“A few years back, we decided this is an area we want to be present in as a brand, we want to up our game,” Erin Longin, general manager of the Puma running and training business unit, told FN at the time of that launch. “We made the decision as a team that we have to get serious about the running space. We’ve always offered running products, but we haven’t really focused on how to win as a brand in performance running.”