What happens to an athlete when the system they trusted collapses?
The recent collapse of Grand Slam Track (GST) has forced the track and field world to confront an uncomfortable reality. Promises of opportunity, visibility, and financial reward were made — and when the organisation failed, athletes were left exposed.
As the founder of TWO XP, this situation reinforces a belief that sits at the very core of why I built this platform:
Athletes should never be entirely dependent on a single system to define their value, visibility, or future.
This isn’t about criticising innovation in track and field. New leagues, competitions, and structures are essential for progress. But the GST situation highlights a recurring imbalance — athletes take the greatest risk, yet often have the least protection when things go wrong.
Athlete independence does not mean working against clubs, leagues, scouts, or agents. It means ensuring athletes have:
- Ownership of their personal brand
- Visibility beyond one competition or contract
- A community that doesn’t disappear when a season ends
- Options when circumstances change
That belief is exactly why TWO XP exists.
TWO XP is designed to sit alongside the existing sports ecosystem — not to replace it. It gives athletes a space to build identity, share their journey, connect with opportunity, and remain visible regardless of external outcomes. When one door closes, everything else shouldn’t close with it. Situations like GST show us something important.
Talent alone is no longer enough protection. Visibility, community, and independence matter just as much.
The future of track and field shouldn’t be about athletes placing all their trust in one promise. It should be about shared power — where organisations operate responsibly, and athletes are empowered to protect their careers, their voices, and their futures.
That’s the future I’m committed to building with TWO XP.
Okechukwu Onianwa
Founder, TWO XP
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