Olympian and superstar athlete 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, the Wall Street Journal reports according to Afro Tech.
“I felt like it wasn’t just about my achievements, it’s what I stood for and how they were going to help me use my voice and also be a voice for females and kids,” Biles said about Athleta. “I feel like they also support me, not just as an athlete, but just as an individual outside of the gym and the change that I want to create, which is so refreshing.”
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.
In addition, 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.
Biles’ Nike partnership began back in 2015 right before she opted to forgo a college scholarship and pursue her sports career full-time. News of her departure arrives just days after Kobe Bryant’s estate.
