Gay Olympic skier chosen to represent national brand

(AP)-A national company has announced today that U.S. freeskier Gus Kenworthy is kicking off the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 as its newest ambassador.

Head & Shoulders has selected Kenworthy as the first openly gay action sports athlete to be featured within the brand’s Shoulders of Greatness campaign, which highlights all of the things people carry on their shoulders – pride, pressure, expectations – and how that motivates them to overcome any challenges and focus on achieving greatness.

“I’m thrilled to be part of the Shoulders of Greatness campaign as it resonates with my journey,” Kenworthy said."

“Before coming out, I was carrying so much pressure that I put on myself. It wasn’t until I made the decision to come out that I was able to release that weight off my shoulders and find the confidence to be myself, which allowed me to perform my best.”

Head & Shoulders celebrates how Kenworthy carries pride in himself, his country, his family and his community, allowing him to achieve greatness as he looks ahead toward PyeongChang.

“Gus is the embodiment of Shoulders of Greatness,” said John Brownlee, Brand Director at Head & Shoulders. “He has pushed through personal and social barriers to compete at the highest level…and at his personal best. We are so excited to be on this journey with him at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games, and we know he will inspire others to shoulder their own greatness, no matter what obstacles they face.”

Through February, Kenworthy will appear in a 15-second commercial spot as well as in-store and digital executions.

Later this month, fans can also learn more about Kenworthy’s journey through a content series that will launch here, which dives deeper into how he’s been able to shoulder the compounding pressures of being a successful athlete and the obstacles he’s had to overcome in his personal life.

It also explores how his long-time agent Michael Spencer has inspired him both personally and professionally, as he helped Kenworthy make the decision to come out publicly in 2015.

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The Gayly 1/19/2018 @ 2:17 p.m. CST