An NFL Hall of Famer, a former Navy SEAL and a female executive have teamed up to make the world a better place- one wellness drink at a time. DEFY water, a Black-owned, woman-owned and veteran-owned performance wellness company is now available at select Houston-area Krogers, and a portion of sales benefit three different charities.

NFL legend Terrell Davis has joined forces with former Navy SEAL Eric Frohardt and female entrepreneur Megan Bushell to found DEFY performance-based beverages. The brand kicked off their Houston market availability at a launch event in Katy on Aug. 26.

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The partnership formed from a friendship between the three, explained Bushell. Davis had retired from the NFL, but his career had left him with debilitating pain. The two-time Super Bowl champion had to undergo more than 30 surgical procedures for various injuries, Bushell explained, and the cartilage in his knees was destroyed. Compounding the issue- Davis suffered from crushing migraines.

Davis wasnt alone in his pain. Frohardt served as a Navy SEAL for 12 years before sustaining an injury that led to a medical discharge. The injury, coupled with PTSD from his service, inspired the veteran to search for relief that didnt come in the form of a prescription.

Bushell, an executive with a background in both sports media and finance, joined the effort to create a healthy, holistic product that could improve wellness, and DEFY was born.

DEFY is a combination of ionized alkaline water with a pH of 9.5 and infused with electrolytes and minerals. The products are created in a solar-powered factory in keeping with its founders commitment to holistic sustainability.

Davis, Frohardt and Bushell proudly label DEFY as Black-owned, woman-owned and veteran-owned, and each of the three charities DEFY benefits reflect the founders epithets.

Davis chose the Center for African American Health as his cause. The CAAH is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of African Americans by providing culturally-sensitive health education and health promotion programs. We wanted to focus on communities that could really use the help and try to empower those communities, Davis said. Weve got a great product but being active in these communities, especially after the past year- we just want to do what we can do.

Frohardts cause is the Disabled Veterans of America, an organization committed to helping disabled veterans heal and adjust to civilian life. The DAV helped Frohardt wade through the complicated process of obtaining health care through the Veterans Assistance program. I had a gap in my coverage and couldnt get the right treatment because it turns out I didnt have the correct rating on my paperwork, Frohardt said. They went through everything with me, and now my needs are 100 percent covered. And theyve done that for millions of veterans.

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Bushells charitable contribution goes to the National Association of Women Business Owners. NAWBO represents the interests of female business owners. They provide a great amount of resources, education, training, grants and all sorts of stuff to help other female entrepreneurs with whatever they need, Bushell said. whether it's the basics of how to get their business off the ground, filing taxes, accounting, finance, resources- all sorts of different things. Its important to me, as a woman business owner, to support a cause that helps other women do the same.

At the core of DEFY, Bushell said, are three friends who want to help each other and their respective communities.

DEFY is the result of a close friendship. In the beginning we just set out to help ease some of the pain Eric and TD were having, but we ended up seeing an opportunity to make a bigger impact, Bushell said. Were not just selling a wellness product; were advocating for what we believe in.

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Terrell Davis teams up with former Navy SEAL and female executive with new wellness company benefiting charity - Houston Chronicle