Sha’Carri Richardson is slowly ascending to a legendary status in the realm of sports. Starting the year on a high, Richardson won the Prefontaine Classics to make a strong case for herself in Paris. Currently, she is the frontrunner for the women’s 100m in Paris and pretty much carries the hopes of the US on her shoulders. Meanwhile, her on-field shenanigans are not the only exciting thing happening at the moment. Outside her running, the US track star is creating ripples by collaborating with big brands. 

In a recently shared Instagram story, Sha’Carri Richardson was seen tapping a bottle of Powerade. This was a revelation of the fact that Richardson has tied up with Coca-Cola, the $267.08 billion parent company of Powerade ahead of the Olympics. This is significant because such a collab puts her in the same league as tennis legend Serena Williams’ iconic sister, Venus Williams. Venus Williams became the brand ambassador of the brand back in 2009. 

Extending her reach and versatility beyond the grass and clay courts, Williams collaborated with Powerade Zero as it seemed to fit into her value system and business pedagogy. Venus Williams also further quipped as to what made her zero in on Powerade Zero, literally and figuratively. “The fact that Powerade Zero targets an audience aligned with my lifestyle made the partnership interesting from the outset. As I began to learn more, I was intrigued that Powerade Zero is bringing a new dimension to the beverage world.” 

Powerade was conceptualized and introduced in the year 1988 and has been ruling the roost ever since in the energy drinks department. Powerade Zero is second in the long line of conglomerates acquired by the behemoth Coca Cola. Williams was ecstatic and not at all on the fence when she was called on to the partnership even going as far as to making the statement –“There are a lot of people out there who have limited time to exercise and are trying to be calorie-conscious. This is the first brand to offer those people a chance to get the hydration and electrolytes of a sports drink without putting back the calories they’re working so hard to burn off.”

Over the years, the main motto of Powerade has been to handpick emerging stars of the future as their ambassadors. They ditched the idea of signing big names, in order to stand apart from competitors like Gatorade. And surely, this strategy has paid them rich dividends. Not only has Powerade become an internationally successful brand but also has some big names in its celebrity athlete kitty. Some of these names include Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Chris Johnson, Ryan Howard among others. However, this is not the only brand collaboration that Sha’Carri Richardson has been involved with recently. 

Sha’Carri Richardson teams up with Olay as well

Running on the track 100m in 10.65 seconds is hard. What’s even harder is to remove the dust and oil from one’s visage after a grueling session. Fortunately for Sha’Carri Richardson, she has found the perfect solution after signing up as the brand ambassador of Olay. While the details of the deal have not been disclosed yet, Richardson did find a nostalgic connection with the brand to share. Reflecting on the same, “Growing up with my grandmother, Olay is in a lot of childhood memories that I have… This honestly feels like a full circle moment.” 

Being roped in by the cosmetics brand is yet another icing on the cake. Me time is something Richardson isn’t going to relinquish on. “I always make it a priority to decompress,” – she opined. Beauty is indeed skin deep and Richardson exemplifies that adage succinctly.

Thus, with all the recent happenings outside of the track, it is expected that it would have a positive impact on Richardson inside the track as well. While there has been discontent over her slow timings, Paris will definitely seem to be a different ball game altogether. As the Paris Olympics knocks at the door, it will be interesting to see how Sha’Carri Richardson performs and marches toward her much-desired glory.