Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Kramer.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My company manufactures “Simulated Altitude” machines used by athletes to improve their performance. The machines – called “Mountain Air Generators” or MAGs — reduce the oxygen level in the air, pushing your body to adapt as if it were at high altitude. I created the first altitude generator in 2004, for myself, to help me qualify for the Boston Marathon.
How that happened is a longer story. In the 1980s and 90s, I was a faculty member at MIT. One of my students did a thesis on air separation. I learned how air could be separated into its components (oxygen and nitrogen).
A decade later, I got involved with running. I ran a bunch of marathons in the early 2000s. I tried to qualify for the Boston Marathon, but kept falling 10-15 minutes short.
Somewhere, I must have read how training at high altitude gave Kenyan runners an edge. The concept of simulating altitude by reducing oxygen in the air wasn’t new, but it was quite far from the mainstream. Based on my MIT experience, I knew how to do it.
I built the first prototype in my basement in 2004, and tried it out on myself. In my next marathon, I knocked almost 15 minutes off my previous best, and qualified for Boston. A few months later, I sold my first MAG.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The scariest moment was when I started breathing air from my home-built prototype. I was a bit surprised I didn’t die. But it worked. The process of turning moment of truth into a real business was the biggest challenge, because I knew nothing about that process.
Higher Peak – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’m a recreational athlete, just a Joe Shmoe. What has been most exciting is how top-tier athletes have embraced this technology. In the last two Olympics, in men’s distance running, from the mile to the marathon, my customers have won 6 out of 8 gold medals, and 9 of 24 total available medals. That’s my little dent in the universe. On the other hand, I’m also happy when I hear success stories from people like myself, who compete only for fun.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My customers’ success is my success. It’s vicarious pleasure. Higher Peak has never been something I did to earn a living. I derive satisfaction from making and delivering a well-made product, and sharing the athletic successes of my customers. It could be a 55-year old making it to the top of Kilimanjaro, or a young athlete getting a college scholarship. I’m really happy for some of the younger Higher Peak athletes who have taken it to the next level, some all the way to the Olympics…
Pricing:
- Mountain Air Generator MAG-20 Altitude Training System, starting at $2099
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.higherpeak.com
- Phone: 781-570-3278
- Email: info@higherpeak.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/altitudetent
Image Credit:
Evelyn Images
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