How fitness influencers are snaring valuable sponsorship dollars at the expense of top athletes

As big brands increasingly value social media prominence over on-field performance, athletes are losing out to influencers on everything from sportswear to sponsorship dollars.

Some of Australia’s best track-and-field stars are struggling to compete with fitness influencers for sponsorship and endorsements in a “frustrating” trend ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

Industry sources say it’s an issue affecting a growing number of athletes, with brands largely opting for marketability over performance.

Hans Westerbeek, an international sports business professor at Victoria University, says the digital age is rewarding those who can develop their own brand.

“The cynicism here is that anyone who professes to be an expert in wellbeing, fitness and communicates that message effectively will get a voice,” Prof Westerbeek said.

“If that voice is amplified or picked up by others, suddenly you have a revenue stream that can be used to further enhance that influencing factor.

“Some of the fitness influencers are genuinely qualified and experienced to truly be an influencer but the problem for athletes is many who are influencers are not experts – they have built their prominence and brand on hardcore marketing principles.

“If athletes are to cut through the clutter, they’ll have to find their own little niche or platform that allows them to speak to their specific expertise.”

Australia’s top track and field stars are now preparing for the World Athletics Championships, starting in Oregon on Friday before the Birmingham Commonwealth Games kick off later this month.

But the battle off the track is equally concerning for some of Australia’s best medal hopes, as they vie for sponsorships.

Brooke Buschkuehl (nee Stratton) cracked her own national long jump record on Sunday with a stunning 7.13m leap, rocketing into medal contention for both Oregon and Birmingham.

Long-jump medal hopeful Brooke Buschkuehl is still without an apparel sponsor. Picture: Alex Coppel.

If the 29-year-old’s on-field form wasn’t compelling enough, consider her journey to get there: knee surgery in September, didn’t recommence running until April, stalled by a bout of Covid, six years between personal bests. All while managing two auto-immune diseases.

She doesn’t have an apparel sponsor.

“Everyone I speak to about it says, ‘What? You’re not contracted with a footwear and apparel sponsor?’ and a lot of the influencers out there are wearing big brands, clothing and footwear and probably getting paid pretty big bucks to do that,” she told the Herald Sun.

“I’ve just been doing what I can to help inspire the next generation of athletes coming through and set a good example, so it just doesn’t make sense.

“It’s frustrating that a lot of (influencers) may get sent sportswear, but they don’t actively engage in exercise.

“Athletes like myself actually need it, and being a professional athlete, we wear activewear everyday, we need it for performance.”

Sprinter Riley Day, 22, funded her Olympics effort by working in the fruit and vegetable section at Woolworths.

It was only after her eye-catching 22.56 200m run that the supermarket giant decided to sign her up to an ambassador contract.

Meanwhile, social media star Steph Claire Smith is an official Adidas ambassador despite previously conceding she “used to absolutely despise” running.

Steph Claire Smith (left) has attracted endorsement deals after establishing herself as a prominent health and fitness influencer. Picture: Supplied

Smith is a widely-adored influencer who regularly shares health tips to her 1.5m Instagram followers, but it raises questions over whether brands now value social media prominence ahead of on-field performance.

For Buschkuehl, it also raises questions over whether her career choice continues to be the right one.

“I love what I do and I don’t do it for the money, but as I’m getting older I’ve got a mortgage and bills to pay and I want to, at some point, settle down and start a family,” she said.

Track-and-field athletes rely on sponsorships to set records and pay the bills. Picture: Getty Images

“Last year, even heading into the Olympics, I was super deflated. I felt like nothing I could do was ever good enough. It really impacted my confidence.

“These last few years I’ve gone into a shell where I just don’t feel worthy enough.”

Buschkuehl is hopeful an apparel sponsor will come knocking if her purple patch of form extends over the major meets.