I’m a huge TIDE lover, in particular with the Tide Pods. If you’ve been a loyal reader throughout the last 8 years – you know that Tide is ALL I use! When Tide Pods hit the scene a few years ago, I loved them because they were so easy to use. Literally – there’s no thought involved – you grab one, you pop it on the laundry – you’re done!
It’s that simple.
But truly – Tide Pods®, adds a whole new dimension to laundry, with an innovative look, feel and performance. This revolutionary new three-chamber liquid single-use form is an ultra-convenient, 3-in-1 laundry product that cleans, fights stains and brightens. Tide Pods® delivers Tide’s best overall cleaning experience ever via a combination of great design, performance and convenience. The consumer-inspired, technology-driven innovation builds on Tide’s long heritage of delivering superior cleaning with breakthrough technology.
When it comes to laundry, Tide Pods are definitely a great option for busy moms like me.
But… what I love about Tide Pods is that they’re not just for moms. I had a chance to chat with Lex Gillette’s about the true “other” power of Tide Pods. If you’re not familiar with Lex Gillette… here’s his story…
While sight is something we might take for granted, Lex Gillette, the best totally blind triple and long jumper in the history of U.S. Paralympics, is keenly aware of the impact it can have on one’s life. As an eight year old boy, his sight began to fade due to recurrent retina detachments. While many of his friends were riding bicycles and shooting hoops, Gillette’s mother was taking him for operations to try and stabilize what little vision he had left. Unfortunately, after the final operation, Lex’s mother had to let her son know he would most likely never see again.
As a mother, she understood that in order for her son to stay positive, confident and rise above his challenges, she had to exhibit strength and teach her son everything she felt he would need to lead a successful, independent life. Together, they formed a bond above and beyond what many experience, and at the age of 19, Gillette’s dreams came true. He won his very first silver medal in the long jump at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, which was only the beginning. He continues to compete, he is the current world record holder in the long-jump, three-time Paralympic medalist, the reigning world champion in the long jump, a 16-time national champion and he is going to go for gold in Rio.
In addition to these extraordinary accomplishments, it’s important to recognize that he faces significant challenges at home. For example, laundry, cooking, and cleaning, tasks that many might deem simple, are a challenge for him. His mother spent years working closely with him to ensure he could feel independent at home so it wouldn’t distract him from accomplishing his broader goals. He recognizes that while not everyone will be a world-champion athlete, they can still learn from his experience and improve their quality of life by making simple changes in their lives. He has teamed up with Tide and P&G Fabric Care for that very reason. For him, something as simple as using a Tide Pod was a game-changer, because it allowed him the freedom to do the laundry with ease.
1. What is it about athletics and competing that you love so much?
The one thing I love about athletics is the challenge. When something is challenging and I overcome it, it helps me grow as a person and as an athlete.
Training for athletics is tough; however, when you are competing in the Paralympic stadium in front of 80,000 or 90,000 people, plus all of the noise and pressure… the reward is worth it.
When I lost might sight as a kid, I wanted to challenge myself to do certain tasks and play certain sports. I was always outside kicking balls and riding my bicycle. I tried to do everything I used to do as a kid with sight. I began to challenge myself to achieve those things and that carried over to my athletics.
2. When you have the opportunity to inspire other individuals – of all ages – how does that make you feel?
It makes me feel awesome. Though many people may not be able to relate to being blind, there are people who may look at my story and find it pretty remarkable.
No matter the situation people are in, they can look at what I have done, and say to themselves “well if he can do that then I should be able to do what I have ahead of me.”
I recently gave a speech that spoke about being “blind” to other things in your life. While this blindness may not be in the physical sense as it is for me, I think people are not always open to other possibilities. People often struggle with internal obstacles. I encourage everyone to go out there and achieve their dreams and goals.
3. Why was it so important for you to partner with P&G Tide Pods?
My partnership with Tide and Tide Pods is really important to me because my mom began using Tide when I was a child. I know that I can trust in Tide because I grew up using it. When I had sight, I would help her bring in the groceries and I’d see the big cardboard box of Tide. She would let me help her do the laundry and I would pour it into the washing machine.
My mother also taught me to do laundry because appearance has always been important to her. She always reminded me that even though I couldn’t see, I should always make sure my clothes look nice.
A few years ago, my mom introduced me to Tide Pods. She told me they were small, easy to use and you could throw a Tide Pod into the laundry to get your clothes clean. That helped me out tremendously because as an athlete, I have to do a lot of laundry. I’ve found that Tide Pods are convenient because I don’t have to pour the liquid into a cup and risk spilling detergent. It just makes my life so much easier. It’s great.
Laundry is just one of the things my mom has taught me to help me learn independence. Independence is the springboard to my success.
4. You have a very special relationship with your mom, what are you most thankful for in her?
I’m thankful that my mom taught be to be a person who can live an independent life.
I know that there will be times when I will need help, but when it comes to taking care of myself, my cooking, my cleaning and my laundry, I can certainly do those things on my own. I’m sure there will be a day when I’ll want to buy a house, and I’m going to be able to keep a nice place because my mom has taught me to be independent.
My independent mindset has transferred over to my athletics. When I train and compete, I can go out there and achieve great results thanks to the confidence and trust my mom instilled in me.
5. Tide Pods are a game-changer for you b/c they allow you to freedom to do your laundry with ease. How important is that to you?
Tide Pods are simple. They’re convenient because they contain the appropriate amount detergent and I don’t have to worry about measuring the detergent. I can also totally count on my clothes being clean when I pull them out of the washer and dryer, plus they smell great.
I know that Tide Pods deliver that same wash and same clean that my mom has counted on for a long time. I trust Tide, and I know that when I am on the track, at a speaking engagement or just hanging out, my clothes are going to look good, and they’re going to be clean.
Pretty amazing, right?
Makes you truly look at the power of a Tide Pod in a completely different way.
Thank you to Lex for being so gracious with his time and his responses.
