Olympics & Action Newsletter - July 2024 | |
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Octagon Olympics & Action Sports clients have officially qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics and are bound for Paris, France. Returning Olympians include Simone Biles (Gymnastics),Chase Kalisz (Swimming), and Anastasia Pagonis (Paralympic Swimming) while first-time Olympians include Anna Hall (Track & Field), Minna Stess (Skateboarding), and Ali Truwit (Paralympic Swimming).
In addition to competing athletes, Olympic legends Natalie Coughlin, Michael Phelps, Dan O’Brien, Aly Raisman, and Allison Schmitt will be attending the Paris Games and participating in a variety of activities including sponsor and broadcasting appearances.
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Hall Partners with Comcast & Celebrates the Minions... | Anna Hall has partnered with Comcast in advance of her Olympic debut in Paris. Hall, a two-time World Championships medalist in the heptathlon, is featured in a national campaign for the brands Xfinity platform. The Colorado native is also featured in a Minions cross-promotional campaign to help promote the Paris Olympics while celebrating the release of Despicable Me 4. Hall’s childhood dream of making the Olympic team has been a journey of highs and lows, and she has embraced the opportunities and challenges along the way as profiled by NBC Olympics, New York Times, Gainesville Sun, and Citius Magazine and is one of Sports Business Journal’s “Athletes to Watch.” | |
Truwit’s Journey to the Paralympics is Full of Mettle... | |
Ali Truwit’s path to Paris was never her plan upon graduation from Yale University in 2023 as she was set to begin a career at McKinsey & Company. The collegiate swimmer was on a celebratory graduation trip with her friends when she suffered a near-fatal shark attack, and eventually, returned to the pool as part of her recovery, which ultimately led to her back to competitive swimming as profiled by NBC Olympics. Her continued love for the water coupled with her competitive drive and determined spirit helped guide her to qualifying for the 2024 Paralympics in three events, including breaking the American Record in the 100m backstroke (twice). The Darian, CT-native has the growing support of her community while she continues to advocate for the importance of water-safety initiatives, joining Senator Richard Blumenthal and gold medalist Rowdy Gaines in support of Stewie The Swim School and their Step Into Swim program. | |
Pagonis Promotes Inclusivity with Gillette Venus & e.l.f. Beauty... | |
World Champion and gold medalist Anastasia “Tas” Pagonis continues to expand her efforts surrounding inclusion and accessibility via brand partnerships. Pagonis is supporting Gillette Venus and their Power of Smooth campaign, which includes the launch of a new Gold Razor as well as a national TV spot this summer, as well as Comcast’s Olympic and Paralympic program. Pagonis, who has been blind since the age of 14, has expanded her relationship with e.l.f. Beauty to help make the beauty industry more accessible for members of the community with limited or no-vision. Previously featured in the brands Show Your(s) e.l.f documentary, Pagonis and e.l.f. Beauty will share behind-the-scenes content of her journey, including her beloved guide dog Radar who is always by her side. An avid social media personality, she provided a glimpse into her Road to Paris in a collaboration with Instagram. | |
Stess Hits the Park to Elevate Women’s Skate... | Skateboard sensation Minna Stess continues her rise as she aims to raise the popularity of women’s skateboarding and is now headed to 2024 Paris Games. The 18-year-old California-native, who was an alternate for Tokyo 2020, is the only American woman to podium in park skateboarding since the start of World Skate qualifier events. An advocate for GirlIsNotA4LetterWord, she shared with Teen Vogue the importance of having fun while pursuing success and has recently partnered with Jones Soda and John Elliott. | |
Simone Biles Rising Premieres on Netflix... | |
In advance of today’s Netflix premier of Simone Biles Rising, EGOT Viola Davis narrates Maya Angelou’s poem, Still I Rise, which has served as inspiration for Biles. The four-part series, Executive Produced by Religion of Sport and Octagon’s Executive Vice President of Olympics Janey Miller, follows Biles as she faces the hard work required to overcome difficult obstacles in sport and in life as she returns to the Olympic stage. Biles who was recently recognized as the Kids Choice Award “Favorite Female Sports Star” and ESPYS “Comeback Athlete of the Year,” is featured in a new VISA-led campaign – Everything, Everything, alongside her sister, Adria, which shows the dynamic sisters shopping together using the US Bank Cash+ Visa Signature card for virtually everything. The longtime Athleta ambassador is featured in the brands latest Power of She campaign with a national spot that features a song called “Oral” written and performed by Bjork with vocals from Rosalia. In advance of the Paris Games, Biles sat down with Alex Cooper for an episode of Call Her Daddy and shared the gym floor with former gymnast turned Grammy winner SZA. | |
Coughlin Host’s NBC’s My New Favorite Olympian... | |
Phelps Leads Omega’s Legends Inspire Legends Campaign... | Micheal Phelps, who has been an Omega brand ambassador since 2004, leads the brands newest campaign - Legends Inspire Legends. The three-part video series showcases how his accomplishments in the pool have inspired an entire generation. The father of four and pet parent has partnered with Purina to help launch Fueled By, a compelling docuseries highlighting the commitment of athletes to their respective sports and underscoring the vital role nutrition plays in driving their active lifestyles with their dogs. Phelps, who will join NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Games, continues his advocacy for mental health in a special episode of NBC’s Meet The Press with Kristen Welker. | |
Raisman Continues to Shine & Embraces Life at 30... | |
In celebration of turning 30, Aly Raisman penned a column for PopSugar’s Radical Honesty issue as she talks about the societal pressures to marry and have children by a certain age, and why she is embracing her journey. She continues to utilize her platform to share her thoughtful perspective about gymnastics, the importance of self-care in and out of sport, and maintaining balance in everyday life as featured by BBC’s “Influential with Katty Kay” and joined Alex Cooper on the popular podcast, Call Her Daddy. A longtime ambassador for Aerie, Raisman is also featured in new campaigns for Schwarzkopf Professional and Bingo Blitz. | |
Schmitt & Phelps Testify Before Congress on Anti-Doping... | |
Allison Schmitt and Michael Phelps continue to advocate for stronger anti-doping measures as they testified before Congress in advance of the Paris Olympics. Their testimony and ongoing efforts help call attention for the need of closer scrutiny and reform of the World Anti-Dopting Agnecy (WADA) as covered by the Associated Press, New York Times, TIME, Reuters, PBS, and Yahoo among others. | | | | |