Caitlyn Jenner stars in empowering new H&M campaign “For Every Victory”

Gay rugby team and other athletes feature in campaign about overcoming adversity

By Rhuaridh Marr on July 22, 2016 @rhuaridh

Caitlyn Jenner in H&M's "For Every Victory" — Caitlyn Jenner in H&M’s “For Every Victory”

I felt trapped by my body and by what others expected of me. I had to find strength within me that I didn’t know I had.

—Caitlyn Jenner, in an ad campaign for H&M’s new sportswear line. The series of commercials, dubbed “For Every Victory,” feature a number of athletes who’ve overcome adversity in their careers. It was designed to celebrate “the power of sport and self-belief to transform people’s lives,” H&M said in a statement.

“I truly believe in the power of sports to bring positive change to people’s lives,” Jenner said in a statement. “This is why I’m so proud to be part of the For Every Victory campaign, because it reminds me of the strength and bravery of people around the world to be their authentic selves and overcome any obstacles that may come their way.”

Featured alongside Jenner are British gay rugby team The Kings Cross Steelers, who have helped “hundreds of gay and bisexual men to build confidence and strength of character through the sport of rugby,” one of their players told Gay Star News.

Also featured in the campaign are Chelsea Werner, a Californian gymnast with Down syndrome, Mike Coots, a Hawaiian surfer who lost a leg in a shark attack, and Cuban boxer Namibia Flores, who had to flee her home country in order to compete professionally.

Jenner narrates the commercial, offering commentary that both deals with her own struggle, as well as that of the other athletes she’s featured with:

I thought it was too late. I thought the goal was too far away. I felt like I couldn’t do it alone, or with the entire world watching my every step. I fought to belong and for my right to be different. I felt trapped by my body and by what others expected of me. I had to find strength within me that I didn’t know I had. I questioned whether it was really worth it. Nothing came easy, but nothing truly important ever does. To keep going, no matter what the obstacles, is what victory looks like — whether you’re representing your country, or yourself.

Watch the commercial below, followed by an interview with Jenner where she expands upon her own coming out process.