ultra trail runner INNOVATE TO recover faster and EXCEED himSELf
The Beginning Of An Amazing Journey
This is the story of a French man who started running at the age of 38 to lose weight and improve his wellness. In 2012, he began a "parallel life" as a competitive trail runner. A few years later, he became a pioneer by creating an ultra-pure, high-concentration magnesium lotion blended with electrolytes. This pure ocean concentrate formula helps anyone refuel, repair, restore, and recover quickly from athletic activities or severe injuries. Over the years, ALKA12™ has found its place among industry leaders and has become the preferred peak performance brand for many athletes.
DREAM TEAM: SEBASTIEN MANENC, DAVID PAYSANT AND FREDERIC ROUSSON
LANTAU PEAK, HONG KONG
#DREAMBIG #BELIEVE #KEEPGOING #NEVERGIVEUP
In 2012, always on-the-go for work, overweight, and tired, he started running his first kilometers in the stunning country parks of Hong Kong. Actively racing, energetic, hard-working, and vigorously pushing his limits, Antoine consistently battled sports injuries. This led him to embark on a mission to revolutionize the sports nutrition industry.
In 2017, over-trained and physically exhausted, he suffered a critical accident during the Lantau Ultra Trail Skyrunning Race, resulting in a damaged hip, fractured femur, and torn cartilage. Doctors recommended surgery to remove the cartilage and replace the top of his femur with stainless steel, but Antoine refused. Instead, he began searching for alternatives, practicing yoga, and seeking a natural element to boost his energy and recovery, determined to avoid yet another "quick-fix."
ALKA12 TEAM RACE & SPONSORSHIP @ TERRAMAR
50KM SAI KUNG RACE HONG KONG @ACTION ASIA EVENTS
His search led him to discover the purest source of magnesium chloride on Earth from the European North Sea, along with pristine, natural essential oils from the South of France. Antoine created several homemade gel formulas by mixing magnesium chloride flakes, calcium, potassium, sodium, and aloe vera gel, all blended with organic essential oils like lavender, rosemary, gaultheria, and peppermint. After three months of intensive massages with his pure strength formulas, and over 200 hours of yoga classes, his pain vanished, his energy soared, and he felt incredibly powerful. An MRI revealed phenomenal results: his bones and cartilage were like new. Neither Antoine nor his doctors and friends could believe it.
Inspired by his remarkable recovery, Antoine returned to bootcamp, broke his own racing records, and decided to share his experience with fellow sports enthusiasts and athletes in the trail running and Ironman communities. He partnered with a laboratory in the South of France to recreate his formulas, conducting all lab tests required for the sports, medical, and cosmetic industries. Antoine filled 100 bottles of his first batch in his living room and distributed them to his running buddies and ultra-runners.
After three weeks of trials, the results were astounding. People loved it and demanded more. The product’s popularity surged, and at that point, he didn’t even have a name for it. With increasing pressure, Antoine educated himself on the science behind magnesium and aromatherapy, leading him to the Magnesium Health Institute, where he discovered the limitless benefits of magnesium.
Antoine began covering his entire body with the formulas daily, and within weeks, he felt invincible, stronger, and energized. He ran miles without pain, cramps, or injuries, feeling powerful and confident that he trained for a 80km trail race and completed a 250 burpees challenge in less than 30 minutes. By late 2017, his idea had transformed into reality, and ALKA12™ was born with a single goal: to helps everyone to reach their goals and dreams , with the most natural, purest, effective, affordable, and highest quality innovative products.
THE FIRST 100 ALKA12 BOTTLES FILLED INTO MY LIVING ROOM IN HAPPY VALLEY, HONG KONG.
At that time, trail running was becoming even more popular, so Antoine produced his next batch with a thousand bottles. He was – and still remains – a pioneer in the sports industry, offering such ultra-pure, effective, and innovative magnesium products. The brand name, ALKA12™, reflects the magnesium DNA, classified as EARTH, METAL, ALKALINE, and a mineral element with the atomic number 12.
In less than three months, ALKA12™ was available in major sports retail stores, sports clinics, and private sports clubs. The brand expanded into race sponsorships with Action Asia Events, The Green Race, Terramar, and SwimRun. The best experience was during post-race events when Antoine massaged hundreds of runners suffering from cramps and muscle injuries. It was incredible to see exhausted runners back on their feet within 20 minutes, cramp-free and with fresh legs. Antoine continued to embrace opportunities, meeting top athletes and race organizers who became friends and brand ambassadors. After these events, the company ran out of stock, which was extremely encouraging. In one season, ALKA12™ became a favorite race sponsor and the preferred sports nutrition brand for ultra-runners and Ironman athletes.
In 2020, ALKA12™ demand surged, and the post-pandemic allowed Antoine to pivot from fashion to sports. He established new operations, developed new formulas in France, and expanded the ALKA12™ line in Hong Kong, France, Switzerland, and the USA. This challenging new venture enabled him to turn his passion into a business, inspired by nature and adventure. Today, the company focuses on USA while Antoine keeps training and get ready for some run in Nepal, Mongolia, South Africa, Madeira, and possibly qualifying for the UTMB.
