With all eyes focused on B.C. this February, Vancouver-area Denise Relke’s hand-crafted, sports-themed silver jewellery is a must-have for anyone visiting the province this winter. This athlete-turned-jewellery maker’s story is in itself, positively Olympian!

They say that every cloud has a silver lining, and in the case of Denise Relke, this was almost quite literally true. When this avid runner’s broken ankle forced her to take it easy, she filled some of her newly-found spare time with a silversmithing night class – and fell in love with the art form. In true marathoner fashion, she focused on the long recovery road ahead, and to remind herself that she would once again run, she used her newly found skills to fashion a unique running-themed pendant…and quickly garnered herself some fans within her running group.

One thing led to another and she was soon crafting bespoke designs for some of her running circle. As Sporty Jewels’ reputation grew, so did the assortment of jewellery she designed, and soon she was embracing a multitude of sports and an ever-growing group of sports enthusiasts as fans.

Denise explains, “I decided I wanted to create some jewellery that would represent the passion of sport. At first it was just for me but now I’m thrilled to share my designs with everyone from the recreational sports fan to the Olympic level athlete. We think everyone deserves to celebrate their accomplishments with some jewellery and Sporty Jewels is striving to do just that.”

The Sporty Jewels (www.sportyjewels.com) line of jewellery now encompasses everything from rings, pendants and earrings to bracelets, cufflinks and even belly jewels. The range also uses a modern sterling silver alloy that is extremely tarnish resistant and perfect for the athlete in your life – whether it’s that special somebody or the one inside you. This advanced technology maintains its luster for long periods of time and requires only an occasional wipe with a soft cloth to remove any smudges – a perfect fit for hard-working athletes that want to sport a little extra sparkle. These distinctive works of art are also available in 14kt gold, and serve as perfectly wearable mementos of special events you’d like to commemorate in a special way by going that extra mile.

The Sporty Jewels have also started developing a following amongst athletes of the highest order, we’re pleased to have provided pieces to Olympic medal winners Silken Laumann, Carol Huynh, Catriona LeMay Doan and triathlete Simon Whitfield. With the games and athletes set to entertain fans around the world in February, these exclusive jewellery items are about to garner some fans of their own. Sporty Jewels are available for purchase at selected athletics retailers in Vancouver as well as online through the website http://www.sportyjewels.com – and for once it’s the silver that an athlete wants!