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Sealy going for the gold at the Winter Olympics

By David Perry, Executive editor -- Furniture Today, February 10, 2002

Now that the Winter Olympics are in full swing in and around Salt Lake City, it's time to turn to that great sports tradition and make some gold medal predictions.

I fearlessly predict that all of the gold-medal winners at this Olympics will sleep on special Sealy bedding in the Olympic Village.

Want more predictions? OK. I also predict that all the silver and bronze medallists also will sleep on Sealy bedding in the nights leading up to their glorious achievements on the ice and the snow.

You can take these predictions to the bank because Sealy has supplied all of the bedding for the Olympic Village.

For Sealy, it's a high point in its support of U.S. Olympic athletes, a program that has given it several strong marketing opportunities. Retailers already have been selling the Sealy Posturepedic Officially Licensed U.S. Team mattress, the same mattress America's Olympic athletes have been sleeping on in U.S. training centers. Sealy retailers have rolled out a variety of Olympic promotions, some even going so far as to employ their own Olympic spokespersons.

And, as the world tunes in to watch the Olympics for the next week or so, Sealy ads will be among those featured on the Olympic broadcasts. Sealy, clearly, is going for the gold.

In the Olympic spirit, I'd like to share some inside insights from Dr. Dot Richardson, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and the spokesperson for Sealy's Sleep Wellness campaign. Dr. Dot, as her colleagues and former teammates call her, is an orthopedic surgeon.

What's it like right now in Salt Lake City?

Dr. Dot: "The Olympic Village dormitories are pretty lively and it's easy for the athletes to get caught up in the excitement and revelry of the games. The plethora of activities and potential distractions are enormous, and the athletes may be tempted to participate."

How do they tune those distractions out?

Dr. Dot: "They need to remember to focus on their goals and make sure they follow their training regimen, saving the parties and the celebrating for after the competition. I recommend eyeshades, earplugs and other items to help create an ideal oasis to achieve maximum rest."

What effect will the Olympic mattresses have on the athletes?

Dr. Dot: "It's incredible what a noticeable difference a mattress can make on a night's sleep. Sealy has made a commitment to the Olympic athletes by providing a quality sleep surface based on the highest technology and research available. As the athletes have been gearing up and preparing for the games, Sealy has been working to make sure these athletes have the best support to achieve optimal rest so they will be in top condition during competition."

Thanks, Dr. Dot. Now it's back to the Olympics. We wish all the athletes sweet dreams … of gold medals.

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