It started with free stringers
Before it had athletes, Gymshark sent its gym stringers to the bodybuilders it looked up to.
“So, kind of like fanmail, those early Gymshark stringers were sent to our bodybuilding heroes in hope that they'd like them.”
They liked them, shared them with their own followers, and signed as the first Gymshark athletes.
What it looks like on YouTube now
How many of each athlete's videos carry a Gymshark code, and when the first and latest came out.
| Athlete | Videos | First | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will Tennyson | 25 | November 2022 | June 2026 |
| Nathaniel Massiah | 16 | November 2021 | October 2024 |
| Jesse James West | 13 | October 2024 | September 2026 |
| David Laid | 12 | March 2021 | June 2026 |
| Whitney Simmons | 10 | November 2021 | April 2025 |
| Jamal Browner | 10 | September 2025 | March 2026 |
Source: Our own count of fitness YouTube videos with a Gymshark code or link, October 29, 2026
- What ties these videos together is a code. Each athlete keeps a 10% Gymshark code with their own name in the description: WILL10, DAVID10, JESSE10, WHITNEY10, JAMAL10.
- Few of them say sponsored. Only 8 of the Gymshark videos in our data name Gymshark as a sponsor in the description. The rest carry a code or a link.
- They stay. David Laid's first Gymshark code in our data is from March 2021, and his latest is from June 2026.
Anyone can try out
Gymshark picks new athletes through a public challenge called Gymshark66, named for its 66 days.
- Post a pledge on TikTok or Instagram between December 28 and January 4, tagging @gymshark with the hashtag Gymshark66.
- Post at least once a week with the same tag.
- Post a final video by March 8.
The winner gets the title Official Gymshark Athlete, a year of Gymshark clothes, trips to its LIFT events, a photoshoot and a year of free gym membership.
Source: Gymshark, How to become a Gymshark athlete
Paulina Roquett posted "I'm officially a Gymshark athlete" on day 66 of her challenge, in March 2025. She spent the 66 days learning a press handstand.
Then they meet in person
A combination of pop-ups, creator dinners, sponsored clubs and groups and communities, and co-hosted events creates the first wave of people knowing about your brand. This is something that Gymshark has consistently done.
“If you said to me what is your perfect week, it would be ... at a Gymshark event with the community, with the athletes, talking about the product.”
A Bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek, August 2025
What a fitness brand can copy
- Sign a few athletes for years. Four Gymshark athletes made 45% of the videos with its code in our data.
- Give each one a code with their own name, so you can see what each one sells.
- Leave a public way in, like a 66 day challenge, so new creators come to you.
- Get your athletes in a room together, with the people who buy from you.