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Tim Markison

Though Markison has made a name for himself as the founder and CEO of Athalonz, a thriving performance athletic shoe company, his main mission is to stop the vicious cycle of child abuse and be a voice for its victims.

I understand you have shoes for golfers in the works?

Yes. Our golf shoes incorporate the same technology as our turf shoes and cleats. Plus, we created a new tread pattern that enables foot rotation in a desired direction and restricts rotation in undesired directions. We call it our “Grip & Glide” tread, which further improves the ground-body connection. Our golf shoe will help golfers hit the ball farther and with greater control.

Your bigger purpose with Athalonz is to bring a voice to victims of child abuse, as a percentage of all sales go to Safe at Home. Why is that important to you?

Yes, we are donating five percent of our profits to Safe at Home, which helps prevent child abuse and helps victims recover from being abused. This is an important issue to me because I was sexually and physically abused as a child. Being a victim of child abuse dehumanized me. I was made to feel less than, to feel worthless, to feel stupid, to feel that I was a bad person deserving of being beaten. These messages were ingrained into me and that’s how I saw myself. I spent years in therapy, studying, practicing self-help techniques and so on to chip away at my negative self-image to the point now where I like who I am. I feel I have a duty to speak out against child abuse, to share my story, to be a voice for victims that are not yet ready to speak out for themselves, to promote healing, and to stop the cycle of child abuse. 

Athalonz started as a small start-up and now has national distribution. Why do you think you have been so successful? There are several reasons. First, I wanted to make a positive difference in the world through sharing my story for the first time. Second is perseverance; very few things have come easily. Most have required a lot of hard work, overcoming obstacles, making adjustments and a belief that things will work out. Third is continuing to work on myself. To be a better person, to be healthier, and to be a better mentor.

What influence do you hope to have on the Valley?

My philosophy is to make my little piece of the world as good as I can for me and the people in it. As Athalonz reach grows, I hope to expand that philosophy throughout the Valley and beyond.

What are some of your free-time passions?

I enjoy physical activity: baseball, basketball, hiking, running, weight lifting and bicycling. I also enjoy learning. I am currently reading about quantum physics, its effects on people and the world we live.