Chiquita is asking US consumers to nominate the everyday athletes, teams and coaches of all ages and competition levels, who excel at what they do, to be named Chiquita Champions™. The company launched this program in May, accepting nominations for athletes, teams and coaches. Thus far 55 winners have been selected, each story offering a unique perspective on what a champion can achieve.

«Chiquita’s passion is to empower our consumers with products that enable them to make a healthy decision in their daily diet, and give them the fuel they need for optimum performance,» said Brian Kocher, president, Chiquita Brands North America.  «We’ve established this award program to honor the athletic achievements of the champions who make Chiquita bananas a part of their nutrition regimen. They are champions our consumers know best: family members, friends and neighbors.»

Every month, both individual and team winners from each of 12 regions in North America are named Chiquita Champions and receive a custom athletic gear award package. Non-professional or non-collegiate athletes, teams or coaches are eligible to win and will be judged by the selection committee for Chiquita Champions within the context of the age and competition level in which they participate, based on the level of achievement as compared with peers.

From softball and soccer to marathon running and roller skating, 25 sports are currently represented in the program. Consumers can access all of the stories at ChiquitaChampions.com or submit a video or photo of their nominee’s shining moments and provide a brief explanation of why that person (or team) is a Chiquita Champion.