DJ Haley and Treveon Graham (formerly Brooklyn Nets, now Minnesota Timberwolves) are best friends with very similar passions. The pair, who met while playing basketball at Virginia Commonwealth University, both love the sport and wanted to be able to play as long as possible. While Graham decided to pursue basketball professionally from the start, Hayley decided to return to the court after a two-year stint in management consulting. However, for Haley, things would take a shocking turn.
On his first game back, Haley fully ruptured his achilles but was determined to return to the game he loved so much. After spending two years trying to rehabilitate, he realized that playing professionally might not be in the cards anymore.
“I was training with Tre’s shooting coach as I was trying to get back in after my injury,” said Haley. “We got to talking about our goals of being able to play for as long as we could, that’s when we came up with the concept.” The duo initially looked into CBD and thought about applying that solely to Apply Recover, but discovered in the process that there was more potential.
By focusing on what they define as the “athlete standard” (look good, eat well, move well), the Bushwick apothecary aims to provide athletes with the resources they need to keep going. Haley was sure to clarify that he and his team see athletes as anyone who strives to be the best version of themselves.
Apply Recover breaks up the “athlete standard” into three categories: skincare, nutrition, and recovery. They deliver on these categories in a new refreshing way that benefits everyone.
With the help of Haley’s background in data science, Apply Recover applies machine learning to their curation process. “We gather what we feel is the best for athletes based on our research, which has a human component as well – it’s a process and bar we set with pro athletes in mind,” said Haley.
The Apothecary opened its doors to the public on July 22; the team is eager to bring health and wellness to Brooklyn and beyond. Although they just opened up shop, the apothecary plans on hosting wellness events in hopes to connect with the community and to be a resource to anyone who wants to play for as long as they can. They even have a custom subscription “RCVRY Box” in the works!
“Aside from the fact that Treveon played for the Brooklyn Nets, I think the primary reason Bushwick stood out to us is because it felt very ‘human first,’” said Haley when asked what being a part of the community means to him. “There is a lot of culture and intersection of culture here and we feel that aligns with our values.”
For more information and to keep up with Apply Recover, follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Their shop is located at 321 Starr Street and is open everyday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
All photos courtesy of Apply Recover.
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