Emma Navarro, who will play her 1st match today in America's biggest tennis tournament, joins team Dove in support of the brand's 'Body Confident Sport' program, created to build self-esteem and body confidence in young athletes on and off the field

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Aug, 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Beauty brand Dove is rallying with rising tennis champion Emma Navarro on a shared mission to build body confidence in young athletes. Emma joins team Dove ahead of her first match in the biggest US tennis tournament, and is the brand's first official athlete partner to wear the Dove logo on her competition clothing.

2023 Dove research revealed that 45% of girls globally drop out of sports due by age 14 to low body confidence, and for Navarro, the importance of recognizing ability over appearance rings true.

"It's sad that so many young girls abandon sports due to negative feelings about themselves or their bodies, because playing sports is such a powerful way to improve your confidence in both your body and your mind," says Navarro. "I believe that the healthiest approach is to avoid comparing your body and your personality with other people, and only compare yourself to who you were yesterday. If you work hard at a sport consistently, you gain more and more confidence as you see your improvement, and the negative voices begin to have less of an impact. I'm excited to be part of the solution with Dove - together, we'll continue to create a positive environment for girls in sports, one that prioritizes self-esteem over appearance."

As a role model for girls and athletes globally, Emma Navarro is on a mission to inspire young athletes to feel more confident while playing the sports they love.

"Since 2004, Dove has been working to support the next generation with tools to build self-esteem. As the world's largest provider of self-esteem and body confidence education, we have a responsibility to support girls wherever their self-esteem is at stake," says Mele Melero, Chief Growth Officer, Dove Personal Care North America. Sports have the potential to make girls feel empowered and strong, yet for so many, the sports environment can be damaging to their confidence. This is why we are proud to team up with Emma Navarro in a shared mission to take action towards a more equitable future for girls in sports."

Emma will join current partners Kylie Kelce and Venus Williams to support the Body Confident Sport program, a first-of-its-kind, scientifically-proven set of online coaching tools developed by Dove and Nike to build body confidence in 11–17-year-old girls. Dove and Emma Navarro will work together to help change negative conversations around body image in sports, providing young athletes and coaches with the tools and resources needed to help the next generation of young female athletes thrive.

Visit dove.com/confidentsports to learn more about the Body Confident Sport program and how you can help build the body confidence of a young athlete in your life. #KeepHerConfident

About the Research*
Dove and Nike have commissioned this survey to expose the reality of girls' experience in sports and the impact it has on their confidence, as well as the drivers behind girls dropping out and potential solutions.
We asked 4,917 children of different ages, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds in Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and US to take part in a 15-minute online survey.

The study included 3,506 girls aged between 9-17 years old (approximately 500 from each country) and 1,391 boys aged 9-17 years old (approximately 200 from each country) who had the consent of a parent or legal guardian to take part.

About the Dove Self-Esteem Project
Dove is the largest self-esteem education provider in the world, offering no-cost, academically validated tools to parents, teachers, mentors, and kids for nearly two decades with the Dove Self-Esteem Project. To date, Dove has reached more than 100 million young people globally across 150 countries with DSEP, with a goal of reaching 250M young lives by 2030.

About Dove
Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with the launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and 1⁄4 moisturizing cream. Dove's heritage is based on moisturization, and it is proof not promises that enabled Dove to grow from a Beauty Bar into one of the world's most beloved beauty brands. Women have always been our inspiration and since the beginning, we have been wholly committed to providing superior care to all women and to championing real beauty in our advertising. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone. That beauty should be a source of happiness and not anxiety. Dove's mission is to inspire women everywhere to develop a positive relationship with the way they look and realize their personal potential for beauty.

Visit bodyconfidentsport.com to learn more and access the Body Confident Sport program.

Contact:
Samantha Colton ([email protected])

SOURCE Dove