Vitality announces Olympic 800m gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson as new ambassador
12 February 2025
Vitality announces Keely Hodgkinson as new ambassador
Health and life insurer, Vitality, has today announced Olympic 800m gold medallist and BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Keely Hodgkinson, as a new Vitality Ambassador.
With her experience in running and passion for leading an active life, Keely will come together with Vitality in its work to promote the benefits of healthy living and to inspire people to be more physically active and finding ways to move more.
Keely joins a strong lineup of female Ambassadors for the insurer, including Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Ellie Simmonds, representing Vitality’s commitment to women’s sport and breaking down the barriers that exist for women to live active lifestyles.
Keely Hodgkinson said: "I’m really excited to join Vitality as an Ambassador. Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of looking after both physical and mental well-being, and Vitality’s approach to rewarding people for making healthier choices is something I really connect with. As an athlete, I know how small, positive actions can make a big difference over time, and I love that Vitality encourages everyone—regardless of their starting point—to take steps towards a healthier life. I’m looking forward to working with them to inspire more people to stay active, challenge themselves, and enjoy the benefits of a healthier lifestyle."
Nick Read, Managing Director of the Vitality Programme said: “We are incredibly pleased to welcome Keely Hodgkinson as a new Ambassador. Her success and passion for sport and health, are inspiring to us all.
“At the end of last year, Vitality’s report into the barriers women face in getting active found that less than 1 in 4 (23%) women are completing the recommended 150 mins of moderate exercise per week. While the reasons for this are complex and multifaceted, it’s a cause we’re dedicated to understanding further and positively playing our part in, with both investment in women’s sport and positive role models important parts of the solution.
“This is why we are delighted to be partnering with Keely, and collaborating together to support everyone, women in particular, to access, enjoy and reap the benefits of sport.”
Vitality also announced today that it will be the Official Wellness Partner of the upcoming Keely Klassic, an exciting new athletics meet taking place on Saturday 15 February at the Utilita Arena Birmingham. Bringing together Britain’s world-class track and field talent to showcase their abilities in front of a passionate home crowd, the meet will culminate with Keely making an attempt to break the current world record - named as the Vitality World Record Attempt at the Keely Klassic event - of the longstanding world 800m short track record of Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia.
Vitality is committed to playing a role in tackling the barriers that prevent women being more active, highlighted in its recent report - Active Women, Healthy Lives: Understanding Barriers to Women's Participation in Physical Activity. It found that despite 41% of women expressing a desire to reach their recommended exercise levels, only 20% of women aged 20-39, 27% aged 40-59, and 23% aged 60-79 reach this goal. The low level of exercise across ages is concerning due to the well-documented benefits of exercise to support overall health and wellbeing throughout life.
Notes to editors:
Vitality Ambassadors are role models who embody the company’s values. They use their passion for living a healthy, active lifestyle to motivate others to make positive changes, promoting the message that taking small steps today can dramatically improve wellbeing over the long-term.
Vitality has seven female ambassadors from the world of sport: Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Heather Knight, Tracey Neville, Ellie Simmonds, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley, Isa Guha, alongside Gabby Logan a representative of Vitality.