Steph Rice: superficial influencers won’t last
SHE has more than 100,000 followers on social media, but don’t call Stephanie Rice an “influencer”. The 29-year-old former Olympian says she hates the word and predicts the demise of the trend on social media.
Confidential
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SHE has over 100,000 followers on social media, but don’t call Stephanie Rice an “influencer”.
The 29-year-old three-time Olympic gold medallist says she hates the word and predicts the demise of trend on social media.
“I predict that probably in two years a lot of influencers won’t be influencers because one minute they’re posting about something healthy and the next about junk food,” she told Confidential, “and it’s like ‘well which one are you, who are you, I don't know you’ so I’ve always been really specific and my messaging is always around health, positivity and your mindset.
Rice, who has just been named as an ambassador for women’s beauty and wellness health supplement brand Unichi, says her “credibility” and authenticity is what separates her from other people who are paid to endorse products online.
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“I hate the word ‘influencer’ because I would never call myself an influencer,” she added, “if I am able to be influential, that’s a gift, but I don't try to be influential. I think being real and authentic is so important. I don’t buy followers.”
Rice has been retired for “six or seven years” after a stellar career in the pool, but has managed to avoid the pitfalls of retirement that have plagued so many of her sporting counterparts.
“I’m not at competitions or in the newspaper doing stuff all the time. so I don’t know a lot of (retired) athletes that are still able to do this (brand) stuff,” she said.
“I’ve had a number of people advise me that I had to do something in order to still be relevant, I had to be on TV and I was like ‘I don't want to do something just to stay relevant for money’. I would rather work 9-5 and be happy.”
Rice says her new ambassador role for Unichi aligns with her value of concentrating on how you feel rather than how you look.
“Social media is so superficial, I get really over it,” she added. “I think if my work didn't involve social media, I don't think I would have it.
“If all that went away, I would still be the person that I am now.”