How Sue Bird uses Tonal to take her training to the next level.
That’s why she turns to Tonal for her off-the-court training. “It’s really convenient. It’s super easy. I think nowadays, we’re in a world where that’s always beneficial because we’re all so busy,” she said. “But at the same time, it’s a really smart machine. The fact that [it] can adjust the weight to you and how strong you are and how strong you’re getting, but also make it user-friendly … it just checks off so many boxes.”
Sue Bird, a four-time women’s basketball champion and all-time league assists leader, sat down to chat with Tonal this week after announcing that she would partner with and invest in the company. Her initial interest stemmed from being positively impacted by her personal experience with the smart home gym. “Tonal knows you and knows what your workout needs to be, and just does it for you,” Bird said. “It’s opened my eyes to this whole new world of smart weight and knowing that this machine is going to help me get stronger.”
But Bird said she was also swayed by the impact the machine could have on others. She pointed to Tonal’s support of the women’s collegiate tournament this year and its dedication to “evening the playing field.”
“I also love what Tonal stands for outside of the world of fitness, so anytime you can partner with a company that shares your values across the board, it’s always going to be a great relationship,” she added.
The partnership will add to Bird’s already-stacked résumé: As the first women’s basketball player to win four league championships in four different decades, Bird also has four world tournament titles, five European titles, has been named the league’s all-star 11 times, and became the first player in league history to reach an astounding 3,000 career assists earlier this year.
Bird’s accomplishments have helped gain more attention for women athletes, and she is a passionate social activist, using her voice to support the LGBTQ+ community and other causes including voting rights.
Now, Bird and the U.S. women’s basketball team are in Tokyo aiming for a historic seventh consecutive win at the global level. If they succeed, it will be Bird’s fifth time on the top of the podium.
Regardless of the result, Bird’s accolades are a testament to her strength both on and off the court, and thanks to Tonal, she’s ready for whatever comes her way. “Being strong is not just physical. It’s mental too … So for me, being my strongest means I’m prepared.”
