Lion Heart Ultra 10th Anniversary medal design in gold and black—a close-up, showcasing intricate engravings and ancient symbols, the three pieces of the medal stacking on top of each other with a soft reflection.

Ah, the Lion Heart Ultra 10th Anniversary medal design. I wanted it to be timeless.

A keepsake of achievement. A token of perseverance. A jewel on the crown of effort.

Inspired by Olympic medal designs and ancient Thracian glyphs symbolizing the elements, it’s the pinnacle of 10 years of growth as a designer.

It would sit on the chest of some of the greatest athletes the triathlon in Primorsko has ever seen, marking each one of them as a true champion.

3-piece Medal Design System

Lion Heart Ultra 10th Anniversary sports medal pieces. The three pieces with a stacking design combine to create the ultra athlete's medal.

Lion Heart Ultra 10th Anniversary 3-piece medal design in black and tarnished gold, each medal piece laid out on a black background

Lion Heart Ultra 10th Anniversary 3-piece medal design in tarnished gold and black split into its separate piece for swim, bike and run, a ribbon in yellow in black floating ephemerally through the ribbon holder of each piece in a surreal, minimalistic composition

The 10th anniversary medal was, in fact, three medals complementing each other. Relay swimmers, cyclists, and runners each get a part. Striving towards a full set was always the goal, or simply jumping in as an ultra triathlete — getting the whole set.

Neatly stacked, with the bolt-on component hidden in plain sight so it doesn't affect the overall design.

Brushed metal and paint meet to form the final design in a balance between tarnished gold and deep black.

The Medal Height Map

Lion Heart Ultra 10th Anniversary sports medal height map showcasing the level of depth of the grooves in green for highest point and red for lowest.

Every groove, every nook, and every element marked clearly in a way that matters for production. Green for the highest highs, and red for the lowest nooks.

A Ribbon For The Future - 3 Years, 3 Designs

Lion Heart Ultra 10th Anniversary sports medal ribbon designed to be used over the course of 3 years, a unique design for each consecutive year, 2025 through 2027.

The medal was never meant to be just a one-off. Its timeless design meant it was meant to last. This meant the ribbon needed to support its longevity - three unique ribbon designs over three consecutive years, clearly separating the anniversary from the rest.

3D Render As The Perfect Photo Setup

Lion Heart Ultra 10th Anniversary medal design in gold and black, a close-up of the intricate design of the engravings showcasing 3 separate symbols for each sport - 3 spirals for swimming, a squared spiral for earth and cycling, and a curved line similar to an infinity symbol for air and trail running. A black and white ribbon floats ephemerally around the medal.

3D visualisation ofLion Heart Ultra 10th Anniversary medal design in the Blender viewport, a close-up of the intricate design of the engravings showcasing 3 separate symbols for each sport - 3 spirals for swimming, a squared spiral for earth and cycling, and a curved line similar to an infinity symbol for air and trail running. A black and white ribbon floats ephemerally around the medal.

What better way to showcase the medal itself than a 3D rendering in an ephemeral composition, with the ribbon floating surrealistically around it.

This way, the final look could be rendered ideally, and create countless renderings from a nearly endless number of sides.

And here's how it looks in real life — designed, produced, and won!

Lion Heart Ultra 10th Anniversary Medal held in the hand by a Lion Heart Ultra athlete.

The 10th Anniversary Medal

Lion Heart Ultra 10th Anniversary Medal displayed on a flat surface

The centerpiece of the system is the Ultra medal that combines its 3 separate pieces as the Ultra athletes combine the three sports into a unified body of strength, resilience, and effort.

Lion Heart Ultra Case Study

As part of the Cosmonavt team, I've created designs and a number of systems for the Lion Heart Ultra Cross Triathlon over a decade that include: brand, clothing line, sports medal, and video automation systems. Sounds interesting?

Read the full case study about developing a sports brand over a decade →