Communication & Sport Summit in Los Angeles

Cassidy Hettesheimer (Grady undergraduate) (March 16, 2024) winner of conference “Top Student Paper” award (including graduate students) for “Outside and online: A gendered analysis of how female adventure athletes utilize social media” at the upcoming Communication & Sport Summit in Los Angeles.

Abstract: Female adventure athletes use social media to tell stories, build brands, and secure sponsors. Historically, women post most of the sponsored content but have been sexualized by traditional sports media or felt pressured to appear feminine while coming across authentically. The purpose of this study is to examine how professional female adventure athletes utilize social media to support their careers. Six current professional female adventure athletes active online participated in 50-80-minute semi-structured interviews and discussed social media habits, goals, and emotions. Themes that emerged included the fact that social media can cultivate community in niche interest groups and give female adventure athletes a platform. However, women face unique pressures in navigating these spaces in ways that appeal to sponsors and fit their own comfort levels. This study represents a first step in identifying and navigating these pressures.