Speaking at Creative Equals’ RISE conference, Downie emphasised the importance of authenticity and understanding in building progressive partnerships.
“The hardest part about sport is that you are failing more than you succeed.”
Gymnast Becky Downie is sharing the highs and lows of achieving sporting greatness. While headlines might focus on medals, the truth is that for any athlete, success is rooted in commitment to a long-term journey with many failures on the way and no guarantee of silverware.
Downie’s journey has been a trailblazing one. After Pat Hirst and Beth Tweddle, she is the third female gymnast to represent Team GB at three Olympics.
Taking to the stage at RISE for an in-depth conversation with Richard Robinson, Executive Director of Ingenuity+, Downie lifted the lid on what brands should know about forging strong partnerships with athletes.
A lot of the time brands want to see a medal, but you have to accept there are more lows than highs.
Becky Downie, Gymnast
Top of the list was authenticity. “Working with brands that feel authentic to me and advertising products that can contribute to your sport helps build connections,” she shared.
Just as marketers and creatives are committed to their craft, Downie shared the importance of recognising and respecting athletes' gruelling training schedule.
“Understand the level of commitment,” she shared, explaining: “I can’t miss training, so consider how you can make our job easier.” One example is when she is asked to create content, as an athlete, not a content creator. She shares that brands and agencies could easily lighten the load and support with the creative process.
Having studied ballet, tap and stage dance, Downie took up gymnastics aged seven, sharing a journey into the sport with sister Ellie. Downie has been a central part of the recent growth in the nation’s gymnastics, part of the first British women’s teams to ever win European and World Championship medals.
She has specialised in uneven bars, an apparatus on which she has a named skill, winning world silver in 2019 and European golds in 2014 and 2016. At Paris, Downie finished seventh in the uneven bars final, also helping the women's team to a fourth-place finish.
Now she has her sights set on the LA Olympics. In elite sport, the marginal 1% gains can make all the difference. If she has the budget to invest in the very best physio or nutritionist, the upside is substantial. As she shared, marginal gains can make huge differences.
This makes progressive partnerships with brands even more important to success. Downie says the number one question she asks is will it impact training.
For athletes who gain small pockets of media attention, Downie highlighted the power of brands to help build personal brands over time.
“A lot of the time brands want to see a medal, but you have to accept there are more highs than lows,” she adds.
As the thought-provoking conversation underlined, the opportunity for brands lies in recognising that winning at athlete and brand partnerships is about respecting the journey, ahead of the outcome. The real winning lies in showing up 365 days a year, not just in the warm glow of victory.
Photo credit: Bronac McNeill Photography
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