{{short description|Filipino curler (born 1982)|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use Philippine English|date=March 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox curler | name = Alan Frei | gender = m | image = | image_size = | birth_date = {{birth date and age |1982|3|27}} | birth_place = | Curling club = CC Adelboden <br> Adelboden, Switzerland | Skip = Marc Pfister | Third = Christian Haller | Second = Enrico Pfister | Lead = Brayden Carpenter | Alternate = '''Alan Frei''' | Pan Continental Championship appearances = 1 ({{PCCC|2025}}) | Other appearances = Asian Winter Games: 1 (2025) | Member Association = {{PHI}} | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Curling }} {{MedalCountry| the {{PHI}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Asian Winter Games }} {{MedalGold | 2025 Harbin | Men's | }} }}
'''Alan Beat Frei''' (born March 27, 1982)<ref>{{cite web |title=FREI Alan |url=https://wrs.harbin2025.com/athlete/NzEwMzIzMg==?Discipline=CUR |website=Web Results System for the 9th Harbin Asian Winter Games 2025 |publisher=Organising Committee for the 9th Harbin Asian Winter Games 2025 |access-date=18 February 2025 |archive-date=17 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250217102145/https://wrs.harbin2025.com/athlete/NzEwMzIzMg==?Discipline=CUR |url-status=live}}</ref> is a Filipino and Swiss entrepreneur and former curler. He and his team are the 2025 Asian Winter Games men's curling tournament gold medalists.
==Education== Alan Frei studied Sinology at the Nanjing Normal University in China and later finance at the University of Zurich (UZH)<ref name=handel>{{cite web |first1=Andreas |last1=Güntert |first2=David |last2=Torcasso |url=https://www.handelszeitung.ch/unternehmen/schon-wieder-so-ein-furz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007144821/https://www.handelszeitung.ch/unternehmen/schon-wieder-so-ein-furz |archive-date=7 October 2021 |title="Schon wieder so ein Furz" |date=7 October 2021 |publisher=handelszeitung.ch |access-date=16 November 2023 |language=de}}</ref>
==Business career== Frei from 2004 to 2014 pursued 50 failed business ideas and eight startups.<ref name=handel/><ref name="A">{{cite web |first=Elisabeth |last=Tester |title=Unsere Alumni: Alan Frei und Lukas Speiser |trans-title=Our alumni: Alan Frei and Lukas Speiser |url=https://www.oec.uzh.ch/de/alumni/alumni-portrait/alumni-portrait-oec10-frei-speiser.html |access-date=6 November 2023 |publisher=University of Zurich |language=de}}</ref>
In 2014, Frei along with Lukas Speiser founded Amorana, a sex toy and lingerie online shop, his first successful business.<ref name=swisspreneur>{{cite web |url=https://www.swisspreneur.org/podcast/alan-frei-ep142 |title=Alan Frei: So Geht Online Verkaufen |date=22 March 2021 |publisher=swisspreneur.org |access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref><ref name=handelszeituing>{{cite web |url=https://www.handelszeitung.ch/bilanz/nach-verkauf-an-philippe-jacobs-lovehoney-amorana-mitgrunder-alan-frei-nun-ziehe-ich-ins-hotel-313513 |title=Amorana-Mitgründer: "Ich werde meine Wohnung aufgeben und in ein Hotel ziehen" |author=Bastian Heiniger |date=28 September 2020 |publisher=handelszeitung.ch |access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref> He credited the success of the shop to the popularity of the film ''Fifty Shades of Grey'' at the time.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bartholomew |first=Rafe |date=2025-12-05 |title=The Philippines, a nation without winters, might make the Olympics in curling |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6865228/2025/12/05/philippine-mens-curling-winter-olympics-qualifiers/ |access-date=2025-12-06 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> He sold a majority stake to the Lovehoney Group in 2020, giving him financial stability.<ref name=swisspreneur/><ref name=handelszeituing/> He founded the start-up Center at the University of Zurich.<ref name="A" />
Post-Amorana, Frei founded the Alan Frei Company.<ref>{{Cite web |last=AG |first=DV Bern |title=Alan Frei Company AG |url=https://zh.chregister.ch/cr-portal/auszug/auszug.xhtml?uid=CHE-482.713.456 |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=Commercial register of canton Zurich |language=en-CH}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.moneyhouse.ch/de/company/alan-frei-company-ag-12143159781 |title=Alan Frei Company AG |publisher=moneyhouse.ch |access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref> The business focuses on creating content and products for a life hacker community. Additionally, he works part-time as a freelance Uber Eats driver.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frei |first=Alan |title=Uber Eats Driver |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-frei/ |access-date=10 Nov 2023}}</ref>
== Curling career== Alan Frei as part of a bid to lose weight aimed to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Curling: Philippines on track to realise Winter Olympic dream at Milano Cortina 2026 |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/curling-philippines-winter-olympic-dream-journey-milano-cortina-2026 |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=Olympics.com}}</ref> Frei initially tried getting into cross-country skiing but dropped the sport after he found he has "no talent" in it. In April 2023, he took up curling and found a coach who Frei taught entrepreneurship.<ref name="toronto">{{cite news |last1=Gillespie |first1=Kerry |title=A Swiss sex shop owner, banker, bricklayer and electrician walk into a rink. They hope to come out as Filipino Olympic curlers |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/curling/a-swiss-sex-shop-owner-banker-bricklayer-and-electrician-walk-into-a-rink-they-hope/article_e8e6ffd6-d8d5-11ef-b608-5b9eec46a5f5.html |access-date=10 February 2025 |work=Toronto Star |date=25 January 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
Frei was scouted by former Swiss professional curler Marcel Käufeler and teammates Marc Pfister, Enrico Pfister, and Christian Haller who were looking for a fourth member to complete a Philippine men's national team.<ref name="toronto"/><ref name="curlrunnings">{{cite news |title=Curl Runnings! Philippines bank on unlikely Winter Olympics berth |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250210-curl-runnings-philippines-bank-on-unlikely-winter-olympics-berth |access-date=10 February 2025 |work=France 24 |date=10 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref> To be able to compete internationally they formed Curling Pilipinas, which joined the World Curling Federation within the year.<ref name=olympics2026>{{cite news |title=PH curling team eyes spot in 2026 Winter Olympics |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/7/20/ph-curling-team-eyes-spot-in-2026-winter-olympics-919 |access-date=11 January 2025 |work=ABS-CBN News |date=20 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://worldcurling.org/2023/10/philippines-pccc/ |title=Meet the Philippines: Swiss-based squad dreaming of Milano Cortina |author=Michael Houston |date=October 29, 2023 |publisher=worldcurling.org |access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref>
Their first tournament was the 2023 Pan Continental Curling Championships (PCCC), held from October 29 to November 4 in Kelowna, British Columbia. His team placed second in the B division.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://worldcurling.org/2023/11/b-division-medals/ |title=China men and women win Pan Continental B-Divisions |date=November 4, 2023 |publisher=worldcurling.org |access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref> At the 2024 Pan Continental Curling Championships Frei and his team made the finals and moved up to the A Division for the 2025 championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.olympics.com/en/news/obese-to-olympics-alan-frei-philippines-curling-milano-cortina-2026 |title="From obese to the Olympics": How one man's weight transformation inspired the Philippines to chase curling history |author=Chloe Merrell |date=25 December 2024 |publisher=olympics.com |access-date=23 January 2025}}</ref> The rink would also go on to represent the Philippines at the 2025 Asian Winter Games, where they would win the gold medal, beating South Korea 5–3 in the final. This was the first medal of any colour for the Philippines in the history of the Asian Winter Games, and the first gold medal at the Asian Winter Games for any Southeast Asian Country.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/SEAGnetwork/posts/pfbid0sjdgSZc4a24c8zp8mprgUqFXfhUp7DFzuAvjQAXCEV7NDsxm6E8cMDVztmXWaRjkl |title=The Philippine Men's Curling Team won the country's first ever medal in the Asian Winter Games and it's a GOLD |publisher=SEAG Network |website=Facebook}} </ref>
By virtue of their qualification into the A-Division of the Pan Continental Curling Championships, the Philippines team qualified for the 2025 Pre-Olympic Qualification Event. At the pre-qualification event, the team went undefeated in the round robin with a 6–0 record, winning the event and qualifying for the 2025 Olympic Qualification Event.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Morales |first1=Luisa |title=Philippine curlers dominant in pre-Olympic tiff to seal place in Olympic qualifiers |url=https://www.onesports.ph/more-sports/article/36623/philippine-curlers-dominant-in-pre-olympic-tiff-to-seal-place-in-olympic-qualifiers |access-date=11 October 2025 |work=One Sports |date=11 October 2025 |language=en}}</ref> The team would then represent the Philippines at the 2025 Pan Continental Curling Championships, where they would finish 6th after the round robin, losing the deciding game against South Korea in an extra end and just missing out on a spot at the World Championships.<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://worldcurling.org/2025/10/mens-semi-finals-pan-continental/|title=Men’s semi-finals set at Pan Continental|website=World Curling|access-date=October 30, 2025}}</ref> He retired from curling and transitioned into being a poker player.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tech-Stars in Zürich: Alan Frei plant Mega-Konferenz |url=https://www.handelszeitung.ch/panorama/jetzt-wechselt-amorana-grunder-alan-frei-vom-curling-zum-pokern-903563 |access-date=7 February 2026 |work=Handelszeitung |date=29 January 2026 |language=de-CH}}</ref>
==Personal life== Frei's mother is a Filipino, specifically a Cebuano woman.<ref name="frei-yearns">{{cite news |last1=Bugauisan |first1=Nicole Anne |title=Frei yearns to bring more pride to Philippines |url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/02/18/sports/frei-yearns-to-bring-more-pride-to-philippines/2056862 |access-date=18 February 2025 |work=The Manila Times |date=18 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref> He also has roots to Leyte.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ulanday |first1=John Bryan |title=Filipino curler targets Winter Olympics gold |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2025/02/26/2424392/filipino-curler-targets-winter-olympics-gold |access-date=28 February 2025 |work=The Philippine Star |date=26 February 2025}}</ref>
He reduced his possessions to 70 items<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alan Frei im Talk presented by Swisscom |url=https://www.htr.ch/story/people-events/alan-frei-im-talk-presented-by-swisscom-37483 |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=htr.ch |language=de}}</ref> and, by October 2020, had decided to give up his apartment, has been staying in hotels instead for the last three years in at least 53 countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-ushers-in-a-new-era-of-full-time-travel-11607356969 |archive-date=21 August 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230821220226/https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/covid-19-ushers-in-a-new-era-of-full-time-travel-11607356969 |title=Covid-19 Ushers in a New Era of Full-Time Travel |author=Nancy Keates |date=7 December 2020 |publisher=wsj.com |access-date=18 February 2025}}</ref> As of 2022, Frei has ended this practice.
Frei hosts a podcast and YouTube channel. He holds Swiss and Filipino citizenship.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.redbull.com/de-de/theredbulletin/alan-frei-amorana-co-gruender-im-interview |title=Alan ist Frei |author=Michèle Roten |date=24 March 2022 |publisher=redbull.com |access-date=6 November 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite podcast |host= |date=8 May 2019 |title=Alan Frei: How To Build A Successful Multimillion E-Commerce Startup |issue=25 |url=https://www.swisspreneur.org/podcast/alan-frei-ep25 |work=Swisspreneur Show}} * {{cite web |last=Grana |first=Gerald |date=28 February 2025 |title=Breaking the Ice: How PH Won Its First Asian Winter Games Gold |url=https://www.esquiremag.ph/life/sports/alan-frei-of-philippine-curling-team-a7942-20250228-lfrm2?s=a1nccb9rljv5ut648qumvsh3ib |publisher=Esquire}} * {{cite web |last=Houston |first=Michael |date=30 September 2025 |title=Shooting for the moon: How curling has given Philippines an Olympic dream |url=https://worldcurling.org/2025/09/philippines-olympic-dream/ |publisher=World Curling}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.alanfrei.com/}} * {{InterSportStats|3000539789}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frei, Alan}} Category:Swiss businesspeople Category:Businesspeople from Zurich Category:Living people Category:1982 births Category:University of Zurich alumni Category:Academic staff of the University of Zurich Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Swiss people of Filipino descent Category:Sportspeople of Filipino descent Category:Filipino male curlers Category:21st-century Filipino sportsmen Category:Curlers at the 2025 Asian Winter Games Category:Medalists at the 2025 Asian Winter Games Category:Asian Games medalists in curling Category:Asian Games gold medalists for the Philippines Category:Nanjing Normal University alumni Category:Cebuano people Category:Filipino podcasters