NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – University of Oklahoma senior Mohamed Elgouhari has been named a finalist in the SEC Start Up competition for student-athletes in the Southeastern Conference for his personal fitness app Gametime Rehab.
A pre-med student who just completed his junior year, Elgouhari was initially recruited to wrestle for OU. He later transitioned away from the sport and found success through Start-Up OU in the Price College of Business.
“The summer before my junior year, I interned at the U.S. Capitol where I worked on health care policy and wrote a report on Oklahoma’s innovation ecosystem. That experience sparked my interest in how technology can transform our health care system,” he said. “How can I help build a tech-enabled approach that enhances care and improves patient outcomes?”
When he returned to campus, Elgouhari joined Start-Up OU’s 12-week accelerator program designed to help early-stage businesses rapidly develop and test their ideas. Through this experience, he worked closely with Bobby Lepak, the director of the First Fidelity Integrated Business Core in the OU Price College of Business.
“My business idea was to gamify rehab for athletes who struggle to stick to their rehab plans after injury. I saw this a lot when I was wrestling; athletes would lose motivation, get bored and stop showing up,” he said. “Gametime Rehab improves adherence rates through gamification, progress tracking and personalized support.”
Currently in the prototyping and testing phase, the app has earned Elgouhari a spot in the finals of SEC Start Up, a conference-wide student-athlete pitch competition designed to foster entrepreneurship. But, he admits, he wouldn’t be there without the support of Start-Up OU and OU Athletics.
“I had an idea, but I didn’t know how to make it a reality or turn it into a business,” he said. “I’m not a business student; I’m a scientist. Their guidance, mentorship and willingness to connect me to resources are why I’m here. It’s helping me gain national TV exposure to take my business idea to the next level.”
Elgouhari will compete against students from Auburn University, University of Florida, University of Mississippi and Texas A&M University. The competition, which will be recorded in Birmingham on June 18, will air on the SEC Network this July. The show will allow the finalists to present their business ideas to a panel of judges, with awards being chosen based on the student-athletes’ business plan and presentation pitch. The winning entrepreneur will receive a $10,000 prize, while other finalists will receive between $1,500 and $8,000.
“SEC Start Up is a powerful example of how our student-athletes are excelling beyond athletics, using their creativity and discipline to build real-world ventures,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “We’re proud to support their entrepreneurial journeys and share their stories with a national audience.”
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
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