Optus announces six Olympics ambassadors including Stephanie Catley and Ian Thorpe
With 150 days to go until the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, telco and streaming company Optus has announced the six sports stars who will act as ambassadors for the brand.
Existing Optus ambassadors Ian Thorpe and Mack Horton will be joined by Rugby Sevens player Ellia Green, Matildas player Stephanie Catley, track athlete Joseph Deng, as well as aspiring Olympic skateboarder Poppy Starr Olsen.
Horton won Gold in the 400m freestyle at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and attracted headlines at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships for refusing to shake the hand of China’s Sun Yang who had previously returned positive drug test results.
Amongst his achievements, Thorpe won five Olympic Gold medals throughout the 2000 and 2004 Games.
The six brand ambassadors will support the Olympics Unleashed program, which Optus and the Australian Olympic Committee are delivering in partnership, as well as represent the Optus brand throughout their Olympics campaigns.
The Olympics Unleashed program brings students face to face with Olympians, using their Olympic journey to help improve students’ ability to set goals, overcome challenges and build self-esteem, the company said.
The athletes have visited more than 120,000 students across NSW, SA, ACT and Queensland schools as part of the program so far.
Optus’ managing director of marketing and revenue Matt Williams said the brand is very proud of the group of ambassadors it had assembled ahead of the Games.
“These athletes will inspire the next generation by sharing powerful stories of determination, personal growth and success through the Olympics Unleashed program,” he said.
“They will also connect Australian audiences with the action and excitement of Tokyo 2020 as we support each of them on their journey towards, and during, the Games.”
Catley said joining with Optus was a great opportunity.
“As a group of Optus ambassadors, we are fortunate to align with a company like Optus who share our passion and goals as we prepare for Tokyo 2020,” Catley said.
“It is equally important for us to spread the Olympic spirit by taking part in the Olympics Unleashed program, and to inspire the students to follow their passions and dreams.”
The 2020 summer Olympics will take place from 24 July, 2020 in Tokyo.
Australia’s free-to-air broadcaster of the Olympics is Seven, but Optus is an Official Partner of the Australian Olympic team and the Australian Paralympic team until 2026, after committing to a 10-year agreement with the Australian Olympic Committee.
Seven’s Tokyo Olympics Coverage will also be available to Optus 5G Home customers on 4K Ultra HD.
OPTUS’ 2020 OLYMPIC AMBASSADORS
- Stephanie Catley – Stephanie is a defender for the Matildas, having represented the Australian football team on 77 occasions, including at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and two World Cup campaigns.
- Joseph Deng – Joseph, an 800m track runner, was born in a refugee camp in Kenya after his mother left South Sudan to escape war. At age six his family moved to Australia, settling in Toowoomba and ran his first race aged nine. Joseph currently holds the Australian 800m record.
- Ellia Green – Ellia, a Rugby Sevens player, was born in Fiji and moved to Australia’s Central Coast at the age of five. Ellia has been there for all the Aussie 7s big moments, including winning the Gold Medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
- Mack Horton – Mack is an Olympic gold medal winning swimmer and is one of Australia’s most recognised and successful middle-distance swimmers.
- Poppy Starr Olsen – At 19 years of age, Poppy is the Australian National Champion and ranked fourth in the world for Women’s Park in the World Skate Federation.
- Ian Thorpe – Ian is a five-times Olympic gold medallist, the most by any Australian Olympian, and an Order of Australia recipient.
The Paralympics have team members too.
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… Corona Virus wont stop the Olympics?
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We also have a long term sponsorship commitment with Paralympics Australia, and we’ll be announcing some more athletes joining our ambassador roster ahead of the Paralympic Games in August – watch this space!
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