Alysha Newman: The Olympic medallist making a fortune from an impromptu celebration

Canadian pole vaulter, Alysha Newman, has been running an online subscription service since before the Tokyo Games and went viral last week after a surprising twerk celebration promptly after winning a medal in Paris.

Newman surpassed all expectations by winning an Olympic bronze medal in the women's pole vault, breaking the national record in the process, per BBC Sport.

According to the Daily Mail, her celebration after winning the bronze crashed her online subscription platform, with more than 20,000 new people subscribing since the start of the Games.

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She is currently charging $7.79 (£6.04/€7.09) for a subscription, meaning she has grossed at least $155,800 (£120,734/€141,794) from her new wave of subscribers after the celebration.

Despite her huge cash earnings from the Games, Newman had hoped to win an Olympic gold, but ultimately was outmatched by Katie Moon (silver) and Nina Kennedy (gold).

Paris 2024 was Newman's third successive Olympics, with her previous-best finish being 17th in 2016. With a bronze medal now to her name, why not get to know her even better?

Newman is a sensation on and off the track. This is the story of a gold medal-winning pole vaulter turned content creator.

Newman was born in London, Ontario in 1994 and initially excelled at gymnastics as a child, before a back injury forced to her to quit the sport. Despite interest in ice hockey and diving, she chose to pursue pole vault.

Newman's skill was obvious immediately, earning herself a scholarship to Eastern Michigan University.

After her coach moved to the University of Miami, Newman followed. Whilst there, she was able to break the Atlantic Coast Conference and Canadian women's pole vault record with a jump of 4.60 m.

Following her success in the college ranks, Newman was selected for the Canadian team ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Newman impressed at her first major games, winning a bronze medal with another 4.60 m jump, per World Athletics.

Newman's impressive record led to her selection for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Despite her previous success, Newman was unable to match her previous jumps, failing to qualify for the final.

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2018 saw Newman make another Canadian team, this time for the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia. Newman performed exceptionally, jumping 4.75 m on her way to a gold medal, according to stats from World Athletics.

Ahead of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Newman suffered a fall and a subsequent concussion.

Despite her concussion, Newman was made to compete at the Tokyo games. She blamed her poor performance on her prior injuries and Athletics Canada for not providing her with the appropriate care. She was unable to reach the main phase of the competition, failing to complete any of the qualifying jumps.

Despite a down couple of years, Newman was able to return to form, winning the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix event with a jump of 4.78 m.

Away from pole vaulting, Newman has grown quite the following. She boasts 742,000 followers on Instagram and has even set up an account on a predominantly subscription content site. 

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Newman once said, "Whether I liked it or not, I was sexualized in the sport naturally by what I wear, and my beauty". So why not make some money from it?

Newman seems to share this sentiment, saying, "If I showed up in full leggings and a sports bra that covered my stomach, people would still sexualize me. I mean, it just never stops. When I decided to launch it, it was really important for me to be a part of something I could control."

Newman told the Daily Mail she is "not naked" in her posts, it is more an opportunity for fans to gain an insight into her daily life and behind-the-scenes action.

In the same interview, Newman said, "My failures, my concussions, my injuries; that's what teaches me lessons. They allow me to stay motivated and I think people underestimate that. I really think it's the whole reason I'm still in sport."

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