Girl Power: Simone Biles Leaves Nike For Athleta!

This is huge! Olympic gymnast Simone Biles has decided to leave athletic powerhouse Nike and take her talents to women-focused brand, Athleta.

As the most decorated gymnast ever, Biles is a big get for Athleta which has only a fraction of the brand recognition that Nike has. However, what they DO have going for them, in addition to Simone’s stamp of approval, is they know how to treat women right.

Although Biles has five Olympic medals to her name (4 of them gold!), she was often overlooked at Nike and wasn’t even featured in their recent ad highlighting Black female athletes. Additionally, Nike has been under-fire for their discriminatory policies regarding pregnant athletes. On the flipside, Athleta’s business structure has also been women-centered. Many of their CEOs and executives are women and their policies have always been inclusive. In part, it seems as though this is why Biles has backed them with her support.

“The opportunity to encourage young girls to reach their full potential and be a force for change is incredibly powerful,” said Biles. “I admire Athleta for their commitment to recognize and support women’s individual and collective strength and, together, I believe we can help girls to confidently and passionately take on the world in their athletic endeavors and beyond.”

Additionally, Athleta’s president and chief executive officer, Mary Beth Laughton, is thrilled to have someone of Biles’ caliber on board.

“We are excited to welcome Simone to the Athleta family and work together to further our mission of empowering women and girls. Simone believes in championing the next generation of female athletes as much as we do, and we are confident this partnership will continue to build community with our customers and enrich our brand.”

Kudos to Simone!