ASICS commits to protecting the mental wellbeing of athletes with action to tackle online harassment

ASICS’ Mind and Body Athlete Support Programme to focus on supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of its sponsored athletes.

ASICS reaffirmed earlier this month (July 2024) its commitment to supporting the mental wellbeing of athletes with a new initiative to help protect against online harassment and cyberbullying. With research¹  showing an increase in the number of athletes experiencing online harassment, ASICS is offering its sponsored athletes access to cybersecurity services to minimise exposure to abusive content during major events.

ASICS is partnering with data science company Signify to help protect its sponsored athletes from online harassment and support them to reach their performance goals. ASICS is offering athletes access to Signify’s AI-driven Threat Matrix service to help prevent and manage abuse on social media. The service will put an online protective shield around athletes to help them feel safer and enable them to engage their audiences without fear of abuse.

This new initiative is part of ASICS’ broader ‘Mind and Body Athlete Support Programme’ offering sponsored athletes access to a range of services to enhance their physical and mental wellbeing, as well as initiatives related to clean sport. Through the new programme, ASICS will strive to provide athletes with a unique support service designed to support both their personal and professional development.

Olivier Mignon, Global Head of Sports Marketing at ASICS said: “At ASICS, our five letters have meaning. ASICS is an acronym from the Latin phrase Anima Sana In Corpore Sano or ‘a Sound Mind in a Sound Body’. Which is why caring for the wellbeing of athletes has always been at our core. While we’re proud to support athletes to win and break records, we don’t believe in winning at all costs. The physical and mental wellbeing of athletes is more important than any podium place.

Our aim is to support athletes to reach their performance goals without compromising their wellbeing. We are acutely aware of the negative impact of online harassment and cyberbullying on mental health, and so are keen to help protect our athletes from online abuse.”

Eilish McColgan, three-times Olympian, Commonwealth Games champion and  European Champion medalist, said: “Sadly, online abuse is something that pretty much every elite athlete has to deal with these days. Personally, I receive a barrage of abusive messages and comments, especially when I compete. That abuse is almost never about my performance but almost always about my body and the way I look.

Over the years, I’ve become accustomed to the comments, and I stand up for myself. But it is not OK. The constant abuse that athletes face is unacceptable, and it’s getting worse. I’m grateful to have the support of ASICS and this new initiative to help block and remove harmful content, so my mind can focus on the things I love most: running and competing.”

Jonathan Hirshler, Signify CEO said: “Signify is delighted to be supporting ASICS and its athlete family in this way. The brand values of ASICS and its commitment to protecting the overall wellbeing of athletes chimes closely with our own mission and what we set out to achieve with Threat Matrix.”

¹ https://www.lboro.ac.uk/news-events/news/2024/january/online-abuse-aimed-at-athletes-on-the-rise/

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