UNDER ARMOUR JOINS FAST 50Fast Company Magazine has added Under Armour to the "Fast 50," the publication's annual list of innovative, up-and-coming firms.

The accompanying feature tells the story of how Under Armour founder and president Kevin Plank, a captain on the 1995 Maryland Terrapins football team, gleaned inspiration from a problem he and his teammates experienced on the playing field. The cotton t-shirts they wore under their pads retained too much moisture, forcing players to change out of their heavy, sweat-soaked garments several times during workouts and games. Plank attacked the problem, developing the first "moisture-wicking" Under Armour® t-shirt, which he then successfully tested on his Maryland teammates. Seven years later, one t-shirt has grown into six diverse product lines and $100 million of anticipated sales for 2003. When asked about the secret behind his company's exponential success, Plank simply says, "As an athlete who had developed a product for athletes, I had an in."