Olympian Andretti Bain is seeking to make the transitional step from competing to becoming his own boss.
The 26-year-old has opened a sports and lifestyle nutritional store, located on Farrington Road and George Street, designed to provide Bahamians with another option for healthier living. Bain sees the opening of his store as the first step of his transition from an athlete to a businessman. The Olympic silver medalist also wants to move back to The Bahamas.
He said: "I really would like to be home training. It was always my goal to do that but there are certain things that we are lacking here that really prevent me and other athletes from doing so. Some of the things were the availability and the affordability of proper sports and lifestyle nutritional products. It is very important to have your supplements and vitamins. I figured that in trying to fulfill a personal need that I have that I will go ahead and create a store to do that. It is one less hurdle I will have to clear when it comes to making that transition from training in the states to training home."
The store will serve and provide all multi-vitamins, be they for sports, recreation or everyday use. Diet and weight loss products as well as consultative services on sports and lifestyle nutritional products or dietary weight loss exercise programs.
Bain said that opening this store is just one of the many business ideas he plans to execute. The nutrition store was a priority he said and took about two months to put into operation. The 400-meter runner used the time off, after not qualifying for the London Olympic Games, to start up the store.
"With my busy schedule training and competing, I didn't have the time to do it in the past," said Bain. "After I wasn't able to make this year's Olympic team, I finally had two months free from track and field where I could pursue other goals. The blue print was already set and the business plan was in place. After I had this entire summer, it was just a matter of me getting focused and going to work, doing all the physical labor when it comes to the store.
"Because of my experience in professional athletics, I am very knowledgeable when it comes to what type of supplements and vitamins athletes will need to take. Anything that I don't know, there are computers in the store where we will be able to do the research. I will also have nutritionist and dieticians on call who will provide advice. The advice is not something that I am selling, it is more or less for the product. This is a business that I have set out for a while to do. My transition from track and field to life after [is the store and] all the research needed to run and operate a sports and lifestyle nutritional store."
Bain made sure to clear the about his future in track by assuring that he is not quitting, but rather he plans to compete until the 2020 Olympics. He plans to continue training.
The quartermiler made his first Olympics team in 2008. He advanced into the semifinal of the Beijing Games after clocking 45.96 seconds in the opening rounds. Bain placed seventh in the semifinal in 45.52 seconds. As the lead off runner for the men's 4x400m team in 2008, Bain teamed up with Michael Mathieu, Andrae Williams and Chris Brown to capture the silver medal in 2:58.03. The United States of America won the gold in 2:55.39.
He added: "As much as track and field is a part of my life, track and field is not my life."
Bain is giving his stamp of approval for all the supplements and other products that are in his store. He said all the products are authentic and meet international, regional and local medical standards.

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