-Big Business has yet to see Claressa Shields as "inspirational" enough, "polished" enough to highly endorse her. The unspoken fail here is they see her story as a little too brutal, her honesty a little too rough.-
Claressa Shields just became the first U.S. Olympian to win back to back gold medals.
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| Claressa Shields Two Times Gold Olympian hero, photo: Newstaggr |
She accomplished this after winning two gold medals back to back in the Women's World Championships.
She's been boxing since she was 11 years old, coached originally by Jason Crutchfield who recognized her potential, took a chance on a girl which he didn't agree with originally in boxing, but could not deny her ability. He took her as far as he could up until she moved from her hometown Flint, Michigan, to train for the 2012 Olympics at a Olympic training center.
She fought her way out of acute poverty, a sludge of hardships, from nowhere-land to champ of the globe. She has kept her family close to her, flaws and all, refusing to deny her roots.
She has shattered limits for women in boxing single-handedly, and won a US Olympic Gold before any other man or woman.
For a decade she has worked, trained, fought, persevered, and won.
She was in a documentary called T-Rex, revealing not only her steadfast boxing ability and perseverance over adversity taking herself to her first Olympic Gold, but also the business side of the sports-world failing to back her with star quality endorsements.
The unspoken fail of the Business Sports World is the failure of big business endorsements. Powerade and Mini Cooper have endorsed her, but in essence her deals have been simply meager, a fraction of the lower end endorsements of world class athletes.
Big Business has yet to see Claressa Shields as "inspirational" enough, "polished" enough. The unspoken fail here is they see her story as a little too brutal, her honesty a little too rough.
"Her own childhood was dark. She was 9 before she got to know her father, who began serving a seven-year prison sentence for breaking-and-entering when she was 2 years old. She was raped by her mother’s boyfriend at age 5, molested at 8. Her mother, an alcoholic, didn’t believe her story of abuse, so Claressa went to live with her grandmother, whom she considers her savior." The Washington Post
The Business side of the Sports World is failing to see the target audience that this girl with a spine of steel represents. It takes as much courage to speak her truth to the world as it does to take and deliver punches for a career. A girl who is loyal, steady, focused outside of the ring, and self-admittedly a beast inside of it; tried and proven.
What Big Business has failed to recognize is the volume of Americans who are inspired by her story of grit, not "rebranded" and "polished", because she is a fierce living example of possibility.
The obvious target audience Claressa Shields would appeal to are people such as: athletes, children in sports, women of aspiration, women of color, etc.
But the most passionate of her audience may be left by Business backers as unacknowledged potential. Up to one quarter of the population who relate personally to Claressa Shields triumph.
14.5 percent of Americans who live in poverty today. That's 45 million people, roughly 1 in 7 people.
25 percent of Americans who experience sexual violence. 1 in 4 people.(National Statistics)
10 Million American children who have had an incarcerated parent.
28 Million American children who have an alcoholic parent.
So for anyone in the business of sports who may be considering an angle to brand Claressa Shields, here is a start: courage to look the worst right in the face and beat it. Trust me, the American population can relate.
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courage
fearless
determination
grit
perseverance
female
woman
girl
overcome
hero
conquer
quest
tough
strong
defend
prove
survive
succeed
against all odds
strength
define
redefine
win
love
loyalty
family
compassion
fierce
survival
thrive
inspire
indomitable
spirit
article by Jen Coole on OpedDoorPotion blog
