Today a personal brand decides whether an athlete finds sponsors, partners and support beyond the results sheet. It’s not about becoming an influencer, but about people knowing who you are, what drives you and why they should root for you. Drawing on our work with the athletes in our portfolio, webinars for wrestlers and our work with Zdeněk Haník, we’ve summed up how to do it.
Why athletes need a personal brand
Sponsors and brands today look for reach and a story, not just results. An athlete with an active community is in a stronger negotiating position, finds partners more easily, and their value doesn’t end with their career. A personal brand also helps the sport itself by bringing in new fans and children. We also covered the topic in webinars for wrestlers that we ran as part of an Erasmus+ project.
1. Find your story
Results matter, but fans remember stories. Try to answer: why do you do your sport, what shaped you, what makes you different from your rivals, and which values do you want to represent? The answers are the foundation for everything else – your bio, your content themes and your choice of partners.
2. Set up your profile as a business card
- A profile photo in which you are easy to recognise.
- A bio that says in one sentence who you are, what sport you do and what you have achieved.
- A contact for partnerships (email or link).
- Pinned posts that introduce your story, achievements and partnerships.
- Unified highlights – competitions, training, partners, personal life.
For Zdeněk Haník we created three pinned carousels – his personal story, projects and media appearances – and unified his highlights. Anyone visiting the profile for the first time understands within seconds who he is and what he does.
3. Choose 3–4 content themes
- Training and preparation – how you work, what hurts, what you are improving.
- Competitions – previews, emotions, results, thanks to fans.
- Personality – life outside sport, hobbies, humour, values.
- Know-how – tips for younger athletes, technique, nutrition, recovery.
Themes help you plan content and give fans a reason to come back.
4. Be consistent, even in the off-season
The most common mistake is posting only around competitions. Algorithms and fans reward consistency. The off-season is the ideal time to show your preparation, what happens behind the scenes and your personality. It helps to film content in advance and have a simple plan, such as two posts a week plus regular stories.
5. Short videos and language
Short vertical videos bring the most new followers. They don’t have to be perfect – fans want authenticity. A phone, good light and an interesting opening are enough.
If you want to reach an audience abroad, consider a second language. Zdeněk Haník runs his personal profile in Czech and English, plus accounts in German and Spanish fed with short clips from his instructional YouTube videos. One body of content works for several audiences.
6. Partnerships with brands
Brands look for athletes who fit their values and have an active community. Prepare a media kit – a short presentation with your story, achievements, audience statistics and content examples. Only work with brands you genuinely use, and always disclose partnerships. For how to find and approach a sponsor, see our guide to finding a sponsor.
We help athletes with partnerships through our portfolio and in the Athlete Creator Program, where they learn to create the content brands want.
Common mistakes
- A profile with no contact and no introduction.
- Content only about results, with no personality.
- Long breaks in the off-season.
- Partnerships with brands that don’t fit the athlete.
- Not replying to fans’ comments and messages.
Frequently asked questions
How many followers does an athlete need to get a sponsor?
There is no fixed threshold. Brands increasingly work with athletes who have a smaller but active audience that matches their target group. Engagement, content quality and a professional approach matter more than the number.
Should an athlete be on TikTok?
If you want to reach a younger audience and new fans, yes. You can post the same short videos on TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts and see where they perform best.
How much time does building a personal brand take?
More at the start – setting up your profile, story and plan. After that a few hours a week are enough if you film content as you go and have a simple system. Many athletes get help so they can focus on training.
Does an athlete have to show their private life?
No. It’s enough to show your personality – humour, values, hobbies, what happens behind the scenes. How much of your private life you share is your choice. What matters is being authentic.
