NFL Players Became Astronauts for a Day as They Go For Zero With Diet Rite and ZERO-G

NFL Players Became Astronauts for a Day as They Go For Zero With Diet Rite and ZERO-G

Model Kim Alexis; WUSA's Heather Mitts; and NFL's Feeley (Miami Dolphins), Farmer Take a Trip to Weightlessness During Pre-Super Bowl Flight in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- How can you bench-press more than 400 pounds of NFL might and muscle with only one arm? When you Go For Zero with Diet Rite and ZERO-G!

This Saturday, February 5, 2005, WUSA's Philadelphia Charge's Heather Mitts; Miami Dolphins Quarterback A.J. Feeley; and NFL free agent Danny Farmer took up the Go For Zero challenge as the first professional athletes to test their might in zero gravity by taking The ZERO-G Experience(TM). For the first time in professional sports, these NFL players dropped their weight down to zero, performed mid-air flips and spins, soared like Superman, and attempted a friendly scrimmage in conditions that mimic those of Mars or the Moon. The athletes were joined by Supermodel Kim Alexis.

The flight took off from Jacksonville International Airport's private jet facility at 10:45 a.m., and touched down at approximately 12:20 p.m. Highlights of the flight included mid-air tackles, interceptions and passes, as well as plenty of flips and spins.

After the flight, which ran 12 parabolic flight patterns in just under 90 minutes, athletic couple Feeley and Mitts said, "Flying on the ZERO-G/Diet Rite weightless flight was almost as much fun as winning the Olympic Gold Medal," said Mitts. "ZERO-G is definitely the hottest ticket in South Florida," added Feeley.

Said Alexis, "The Go For Zero flight was an amazing experience -- I can't wait to try it again! I strutted poses that I could never do on a runway."

Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G(R)), which regularly operated out of Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, is the first and only FAA-approved weightless flight experience, and Diet Rite, the original and only nationally distributed zero calorie soda sweetened with SPLENDA(R) Brand Sweetener, turned the brawn and brute of some of the NFL's top players into astronauts for a day by taking them on a trip to weightlessness. As the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles count down to Super Bowl XXXIX, these NFL players took a step into history in a manner very few have had the privilege to do, and became the first professional athletes to experience what was once only available to astronauts training for a trip into space.

"We are delighted that A.J. Feeley, Danny Farmer, Heather Mitts and Kim Alexis joined us in Go For Zero," said Peter Diamandis, CEO and Cofounder of Zero Gravity Corporation. "ZERO-G's mission is to bring the excitement and adventure of space exploration to the general public in a safe, fun and affordable way. Whether you are a 15-year-old aspiring athlete, or a 300-plus pound linebacker, everyone now has the opportunity to experience the marvel of weightless flight and the thrill of zero."

"Zero never felt or tasted so good," said Randy Gier, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages. "Diet Rite offers a soft drink with zero calories, zero carbs, zero sodium, and zero caffeine with zero compromise on taste. Our partnership with ZERO-G, and this flight, show how the thrill and excitement of zero can be experienced by everyone."

The ZERO-G Experience is a full-day program led by veteran NASA administrators and astronauts. Each Flyer (the customer) experiences Martian (1/3 g), Lunar (1/6 g) and zero-gravity conditions inside a specially modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft, known as G-FORCE ONE, the official plane of ZERO-G. G-FORCE ONE flies in a parabolic flight pattern, similar to a 10,000-foot "roller coaster" at between 22,000 and 32,000 feet (altitude) in the air. The parabolic flight patterns temporarily counteract Earth's gravity, thereby creating prolonged weightlessness giving flyers the opportunity to experience what it feels like to float in space.

The ZERO-G Experience consisted of a pre-flight training and briefing program, beginning at the Courtyard Jacksonville Airport Northeast, followed by the weightless flight, which took place out of Signature Flight Support, a private airport facility adjoining Jacksonville International Airport.

B-roll package available and high resolution images available upon request.

About Diet Rite

Diet Rite is a smart choice soft drink for a low-carb lifestyle. It is leading growth in the soft drink industry with volume gains of 53 percent in 2004, significantly outpacing the diet soft drink category. Diet Rite is the only nationally distributed zero calorie diet soda sweetened with SPLENDA(R) Brand Sweetener and is the only soft drink mentioned by name on http://www.atkins.com/. With seven delicious flavors to choose from, Diet Rite offers zero carbs, zero calories, zero caffeine, and zero sodium, all with zero compromise on taste. For more information, visit http://www.dietrite.com/. Diet Rite is part of the beverage portfolio of Plano, Texas-based Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages (CSAB), a subsidiary division of Cadbury Schweppes plc (NYSE:CSG). CSAB is one of the largest producers of soft drinks and premium beverages in the Americas. CSAB's brand portfolio includes Dr Pepper, 7 UP, Snapple, Mott's Apple Juice, RC Cola, A&W Root Beer, Sunkist Soda, Canada Dry, Hawaiian Punch, Schweppes, Diet Rite, Slush Puppie frozen drinks, Clamato, Mr & Mrs Ts Mixers, Holland House Mixers, Rose's, Mistic, Yoo-hoo, Orangina, IBC, Stewart's, Nantucket Nectars and other well-known consumer brands. For additional information on Cadbury Schweppes and its products, visit http://www.cadburyschweppes.com/.

About Zero Gravity Corporation

Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G(R), http://www.nogravity.com/) is a privately held space entertainment and tourism company whose mission is to make the excitement and adventure of space accessible to the public. ZERO-G is the first and only FAA-approved provider of Weightless Flight, and serves the general public (age 15 and over), as well as the entertainment and film industries, corporate and incentive market, non-profit research and education sectors, and government. ZERO-G's aircraft partner is Amerijet International, Inc., the Fort Lauderdale-based cargo transportation and logistics provider. Zero Gravity Corporation is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For more information or to book a flight, visit http://www.nogravity.com/ or call (888) NO-GRAVITY (664-7284). For unique ZERO-G merchandise, including t-shirts, duffel bags, hats and coffee mugs, visit http://www.thespacestore.com/zerogstore.html.

ZERO-G is a strategic partner of Space Adventures, Ltd. Space Adventures is the only company to have successfully launched private explorers to the International Space Station. Through this partnership, Space Adventures and ZERO-G will offer exclusive weightlessness training for Space Adventures' orbital and suborbital spaceflight clients in the United States.


Source: Zero Gravity Corporation

CONTACT: Cristina Alfaro of Diet Rite/Cadbury Schweppes America
Beverages, +1-972-673-7814, cristina.alfaro@cs-americas.com; or Rosalie
Huerta, +1-305-533-1111, rosalie@msilver-pr.com, or Harrison Liu,
+1-305-458-4823, harrison@msilver-pr.com, both of M. Silver Associates Inc.,
for ZERO-G

Web site: http://www.atkins.com/
http://www.dietrite.com/
http://www.nogravity.com/
http://www.cadburyschweppes.com/
http://www.thespacestore.com/zerogstore.html

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photography and B-roll package from Zero Gravity Corp. available.

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