Venus Williams has joined forces with Stitch Fix to stomp out gym intimidation. The Grand Slam champion has partnered with the personal shopping service in its newest campaign, “Goodbye Gymtimidation.”
The campaign aims to end “gymtimidation”—anxious feelings of self-doubt or intimidation from working out in front of other people. It particularly aims to conquer this feeling for women, who experience it twice as much as men.
“Playing tennis on a global stage doesn’t make me immune to anxieties. In fact, I’d say it’s just the opposite,” Williams said in a statement. “I’ve experienced gymtimidation in the past while working out and have developed my own set of techniques to keep it at bay throughout my career. That’s why I decided to join forces with Stitch Fix on this campaign—to create awareness of this issue and inspire women to stay confident in themselves throughout their wellness journey.”
In the campaign, Williams poses in several sleek athleisure pieces. In one shot, she can be seen in a white and navy striped tank top, complete with white headphones. In others, she dons a green and white tank top and leggings. The matching set is completed with brand partner K-Swiss sneakers for a smooth finish.
It’s been 15 years since she debuted her own lifestyle brand, EleVen by Venus Williams, which now includes dedicated tennis, beauty and activewear collections. In 2020, K-Swiss and EleVen debuted their first collaboration and Williams also starred in a K-Swiss campaign. And last year, she released two capsules: the Glow Up collection and the launch of the new K-Swiss Tubes collection.
The “Goodbye Gymtimidation” campaign includes Williams‘ own tips for conquering intimidation at the gym, as well as a partnership with the Happier app to aid women with habit-tracking tools. Stitch Fix has also sourced activewear from brands like Adidas, Nike, Sweaty Betty and more for those shopping through Stitch Fix Freestyle or one of the service’s stylists. Overall, the campaign ultimately aims for those working out to both look and feel like their best selves — no matter what stage of exercise they’re in this year.
You can learn more about Stitchfix’s “Goodbye Gymtimidation” campaign on its website.
Discover Williams’ FN cover shoot in the gallery.