One of the most decorated gymnasts ever and one of the greatest Olympic athletes has ended her massive powerhouse deal with Nike.
Simone Biles has announced that she’s officially ending her six-year Nike endorsement deal to enter a new apparel partnership with Athleta, which she believes will more closely align with her personal values, Wall Street Journal reports.
According to the news outlet, Biles’s new deal with Athleta will include her own performance wear line, as well as other sponsorship opportunities where the brand will offer the gymnast a platform to participate in”honest conversations” with young girls and women.
Additionally, Athleta has also pledged to support the post-Olympics gymnastics tour that Biles plans to lead herself, in which she will help reshape professional opportunities for stellar gymnasts in the near future.
In her interview with Wall Street Journal, Biles also notes that she feels more secure in this partnership with Athleta now that she has a predominantly women-led design team on her side and believes she’s joining a brand that’s “truly for women by women.”
“But now that I’m older and kind of in the world a little bit more, I see and I know and I learn and I grow from things, so to partner with Athleta, I think they stand for everything that I stand for…I just thought it was time for a change.”
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