Meet Kelcey (@kjwright). A sports journalist from Toronto, and #swimsuitmodel.
Why did you choose this career path?
When I graduated university and ended my basketball career, I wanted to be able to stay in the sporting world and help other athletes tell their stories.
What are your hobbies, interests?
I love sports, travel, fashion, shopping, movies, and music.
How would describe yourself?
I am a former university basketball player who has turned her love for the game into a career. I am a daughter, sister, wife, friend, and more.
What are three personality traits you identify with?
1. Kind
2. Personable
3. Outgoing
What are three words your best friend or partner would use to describe you?
Funny, sarcastic, caring.
What do you want people to know about you?
I want people to know me as a person. My whole life people have known me as a competitive athlete and didn’t get to dig deeper. I want people to see my family and my life beyond sports because I think it’s relatable.
What are you hoping to achieve with your social media following and with your relationships to your followers?
My niche is former athletes – it can be difficult to transition back once your time on the court, field, or rink ends. I hope to show my followers that life moves on…good and bad. I am pretty transparent on my Instagram stories about the struggles I face as a sports journalist and former athlete, but I also allow my followers to be part of my triumphs too.
How do you hope to connect with, touch or inspire the people that follow you?
I connect with almost everyone who reaches out to me … I think it’s important to be approachable and friendly because my followers are what make me an influencer. With this campaign, I want to show my followers that everybody has insecurities even if it looks like pure perfection online. I gained over 25 pounds after I stopped playing basketball, and it sucks, but I want to show my followers that you can be confident in your own skin.
We selected you for this campaign because we believe your life is aspirational. What do you feel makes your life aspirational? Why did you decide to participate in this campaign?
Sports allow me to relate to a lot of people. I’ve been able to connect with a lot of former athletes through Instagram, and it serves as a platform for us to share our journeys. I decided to participate in Swimco’s campaign because I wanted to show my friends, family, and followers that there is no need for insecurities; you will always be your biggest critic. I wanted to do something that scared me to inspire others to do something that scared them. It’s so important to start living life to the fullest without fearing judgement.
What did you enjoy most about working with us on this campaign?
I felt like a new person when I went home from Hawaii. I was so scared to go and walk around in a bikini in front of people, but once I was there and with a group of women who were all so confident and complimentary, it made me rise to the challenge. I left with a whole new level of confidence in my body. Confidence is the best accessory.
Did you discover anything about yourself?
I discovered that everyone around me isn’t staring at my thighs, or my belly, or whatever part of my body that I was self-conscious about. I discovered that I am able to overcome fears and emerge more confident and stronger than ever before. It made me want to help others feel the same, especially former athletes who can see so much change in their bodies after they stop playing sports competitively.
If you could say one thing to someone who may not be confident with their body, what would it be?
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!
Anything else?
This campaign is so, so, so important for everyone. Society puts so much pressure on us to look and feel a certain way, but this campaign shows that you can just be you and feel great about it. You can be confident with cellulite, or a bigger waist, or bust, and still ‘work it’. I think this campaign is important because the models are real people with real bodies. Now, when they put on a swimsuit and look like the model, they will feel amazing. I am so thankful to be part of such a happy and healthy campaign, and I can’t wait to spread the word: CONFIDENCE IS IN US ALL. We just have to go out, face our fears, and find it. Thanks, Swimco!!
