Press Information: 29th October 2013

Shelley Rudman joins Procter & Gamble to launch Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Thank You Mum Campaign

Procter & Gamble, a Worldwide Olympic Partner, today announces World Champion and Olympic Silver Medallist, , an aspiring Team GB member, has joined its global family of athletes.

The announcement also kicks off P&G’s Thank You Mum campaign, which pays tribute to Mums around the world, and as the Winter approach is highlighting those mums who raise world class athletes.

Shelley is one of the UK’s medal hopes for the Sochi Games. Shelley originally from Wiltshire, used to work in teaching, now lives and trains in Sheffield and won Britain’s only medal (Silver) of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. That success was followed by an 18-month break from the sport when she had her first child with partner and fellow Team GB skeleton slider hopeful, .

If Shelley is picked to compete for Team GB in Sochi, in addition to being accompanied by her mum and dad, Shelley will have lots of family support in Russia, including from her six-year-old daughter, Ella.

Shelley comments, “I am incredibly excited about the possibility of being selected for Sochi 2014. Going into the event as World Champion has given me much more confidence, but also comes with the added pressure of expectation! It’s been a long journey to get to this point and I have so much to thank my mum for. She has always been my rock over the years of training, including all the highs and the lows, so it’s a fantastic boost to me that P&G will enable me to have my mum at the track in Sochi cheering me on!”

As part of the Sochi 2014 Thank You Mum campaign, P&G is paying tribute to mums around the world through the Raising an Olympian film series. The short films showcase the journey of world- class athletes as seen through the eyes of their mum. Shelley Rudman and her mum, Josie Rudman, star in one of the films and reveal insights into Shelley’s journey as an athlete and how she transferred skills she learnt in other sports in the face of injury.

The series of 28 films brings to life the daily lessons all mums teach their children, from their first steps to coping with life’s successes and disappointments.

Marc Pritchard, P&G Global Brand Building Officer says “P&G brands look at Olympic sponsorship through a special lens. Our brands don’t just live at the finish line; they’re about the everyday journey athletes take to get to the Games; a journey they started in childhood with their mum. That’s why, if a P&G brand sponsors an athlete, we also celebrate the mother who helped get them there.”

The P&G Sochi 2014 campaign will come to life through P&G’s iconic brands and their inspiring campaigns: • P&G Beauty will inspire women to ‘Look Winter Wonderful’ this season, and the Olay campaign in particular will feature LINDSEY VONN (U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist, Alpine Skiing) • Gillette is encouraging men everywhere to ‘Reveal their Inner Steel’ featuring ALEXANDER OVECHKIN (Russian Olympian, Ice Hockey), as well as SVEN KRAMER (Dutch Olympic Gold Medalist, Speed Skating) • Pantene and ELENA ILINYKH (Russian Olympic Hopeful, Figure Skating), are proving that hair can pass the winter torture test to ‘Win Over Winter and Shine!’ • Head & Shoulders is washing out flakes, washing in Inner Confidence with EVGENI MALKIN (Russian Olympian, Ice Hockey)

The Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games will take place over 17 days from the 7th – 23rd February 2014 and features seven Olympic sports. Team GB have won medals at the last three Winter Games (Rhona Martin’s curling gold in Salt Lake City, Shelley Rudman’s skeleton silver in 2006 and a skeleton gold for in 2010) and hopes are high for the GB Class of 2014.

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For further information please contact:

Robin Kar on [email protected] 020 7611 3831 or 07967 315 770

Lisa Harper on [email protected] 020 7611 3687

Note to Editors

The Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games take place from 7-23 February 2014.

Team GB is expected to be made up of approximately 50 athletes. The partnership with P&G runs from April 2013 to March 2014.

As part of P&G’s dedication to bringing the best to moms around the world, the Thank You Mom campaign will come to life through a variety of media channels and in store. Two million retailers throughout the world will feature P&G Olympic Games themed packaging, end caps and displays.

About the British Olympic Association: The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its mission is to transform British lives through the power of the Olympic values and the success of Team GB. The BOA’s role is to prepare the ‘Best of British’ athletes for, and lead them at, the summer, winter and . The BOA delivers extensive support services to Britain’s Olympic athletes and their National Governing Bodies to enhance Olympic success and is responsible for championing the Olympic values and brand in the UK.

About P&G UK and Ireland

P&G serves approximately 4.8 billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including, Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bold®, Braun®, Duracell®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Flash®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Iams®, Lenor®, Max Factor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, Vicks® and Wella®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.