PlatinumWave Athletics has become increasingly popular in Goshen College’s student athlete population. The clothing brand, owned by Isacc Hernandez ’13 and Sonia Navarro ’13, made its debut in 2018 under the original name, Tsunami Fitwear.

Hernandez graduated with a major in interdisciplinary studies: social work, sociology and communication. He is most commonly known for his role in the Academic Success Center as an academic coach for first-years, where he guides young students and advises them wherever is necessary.

Hernandez is the founder of PlatinumWave Athletics and had the original idea to start the brand. However, it was not until his previous classmate and good friend Navarro gave him the “push” he needed and offered herself as “a person to go through that journey with,” he said.

Hernandez described Navarro’s role as a “little bit more behind the scenes,” as she is based in Chicago.

Hernandez chose to name the business PlatinumWave because of its correlation to water. He felt strongly about water, in both negative and positive aspects.

“It can be very powerful. It can be very soft. It can be very calming [but also] can be very overwhelming,” he said.

He feels that this analogy or metaphor can be applied to many aspects of life, but “there’s always a way to take the power back.” Hernandez also discarded the idea of “fitwear” because it was “more associated with just the gym,” and he wanted to “reach a wider audience” than just athletes.

Hernandez referred to himself as a “naturally introverted person,” and found the gym to be a place he “discovered” in his 20s and “got a sense of family there.”

He has learned over the years that his love for the gym is not only beneficial to himself, but also to the surrounding community. “I just want to bring other people in, connect with others, offer a sense of support and accountability,” he said.

Hernandez enjoys weightlifting, “shooting hoops” and watching football. He also loves the outdoors and attributes his love for hiking to being from Idaho.

PlatinumWave Athletics is also represented by brand ambassadors. These ambassadors are predominantly made up of GC student-athletes and recent alumni. Eddy Garcia, a senior business major from Goshen, Indiana, is a sprinter on the men’s track and field team. Garcia specializes in all distances from the 60-meter to the 400-meter, but is “a 100 and 200 guy,” primarily for competition. Garcia met Hernandez in his first year while in the campus weight room.

He described Hernandez as inspiring and has an abundance of respect for him.

“It’s kind of inspiring to see somebody primarily of my race, another Hispanic male, being so disciplined in the weight room,” Garcia said.

Garcia spoke about having lifted alongside Hernandez throughout his time here at GC, and the relationship the two built over the years. “We’ve talked weights. We’ve been there, spotted each other. We’ve seen each other fail reps, We’ve seen each other hit PRs,” added Garcia.

Garcia’s favorite item from PlatinumWave is the dark blue hoodie. He likes this hoodie because it’s “the idea that it comes from someone I know and someone that I respect. That makes it valuable,” he said. Other features Garcia enjoys are the hoodies’ warmth, stretchy material and its fleece lining.

Liam Shaw, a sophomore journalism major from Galway, Ireland, is another brand ambassador for PlatinumWave Athletics. Shaw met Hernandez in his first week at GC, during orientation. He remembers Hernandez speaking of his passion for lifting during the week. Shaw later discovered Hernandez was one of his ICC professors.

Shaw has a lot of admiration for Hernandez and said, “Every time I hear him speak, I take something new away from it.”

Shaw also attributed many of his on-campus connections to his role as a brand ambassador. Shaw became good friends with Tim Wilkening ‘24, the previous men’s soccer captain.

“To say that I’m able to call someone like Tim a friend now is really cool to me and it is thanks to Isacc and PWA that I now have that connection,” Shaw said.

PlatinumWave Athletics core values are wellness, authenticity, versatility and empowerment. Their mission statement is “to empower all individuals on their fitness journey by providing high-performance athletic wear that combines comfort, style, and durability. They [we] are committed to creating a community where every person can tap into their potential, push their limits, and embrace a healthier version of themselves.”

PlatinumWave Athletics products can be purchased by directly messaging them on Instagram, and will soon be available online, pending their brand-new website release.