Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis OBE has teamed up with Next for range of activewear clothes.
The Denise Lewis Edit is on sale now, offering a “functional and stylish” range engineered for “the gym of life”.
It launched on the Next website on December 21 and will be available in selected stores on December 30. It features the Olympian’s favourite pieces from the Next Active range, which the former heptathlete tested and approved herself – and which she says is suitable for anything from high intensity training to low impact stretching and yoga.
Leicestershire headquartered Next Plc recently reported better than expected sales thanks to strong children’s clothing and homeware sales despite the Covid-19 restrictions. But it warned fresh lockdowns could have a big impact on store sales.
Launching the range Denise – who won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the 2000 Sydney Olympics – said: “I am seriously impressed with Next’s range of activewear – I’ve been road-testing these pieces for months now.
“From squat-proof leggings (which don’t fall down!) to sports bras fit for various workout types – there’s something for every shape and size.”
The mum-of-four said rather than working out alongside Olympic athletes, she now finds herself training with everyday women trying to reach their personal bests.
She described the “gym of life” as anything from picking up the kids’ toys to jogging to the school gates at 3pm.
She said: “I’m not even sure how I juggle being a mum of four kids.
“You’ve just got to have a positive mindset and be really clear with what you want to get out of the day but know that you can’t fit everything in. Don’t beat yourself up.
“What I love about activewear is that it’s easy. It doesn’t matter what time of the day I put it on. It’s simple. I can go to the gym, I can pick up the kids from school. It’s just comfortable and I feel good in it.”
Still based in Enderby, just outside Leicester, Next was launched in 1982 and added an online shop in 1999.
Today it trades from more than 500 stores in the Ƶ and Ireland, and a further 200 stores across 40 countries plus its thriving online business.
It employs more than 43,000 people.
