Campaign Inspires Millions of Women Facing Bladder Control Issues to Live Life Fully
Anne Abernathy– 57 year 6 Time Olympic Champion
More than 1 in 4 women over 40 face bladder control issues and many are suffering in silence and not seeking out solutions that can enable them to lead the lives they desire. That is why SCA, through its TENA® brand, is launching its latest advocacy campaign designed to open a dialog, inform and inspire women to overcome the challenges of bladder control issues with a simple message – Be TENAacious!
Tenacious is defined by Merriam-Webster as “persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired,” and embodies the mission of the “Be TENAcious” campaign. Starting in April, TENA®, the globally-leading brand of bladder protection products and services, will begin to highlight real, tenacious women who are confronting the condition head-on in order to help the millions of women with bladder control issues break their silence. Leading the charge will be Anne Abernathy (57), the six-time Olympic luger who has made a career of breaking barriers – and will now add bladder control issues to her list. Anne will share her inspiring story about her experience with bladder control issues to kick off the campaign that will also feature educational content developed by HealthyWomen, the nation’s leading independent health information source for women.
About Anne Abernathy
Anne Abernathy is no stranger to facing challenges. She holds the Guinness World Record
for the oldest woman ever to compete in the Winter Olympics and is the first woman over fifty to participate in the Winter Games, single-handedly changing the perception of age in her sport (leading to her nickname “Grandma Luge”). Her eighteen-year Olympic career started after the age of thirty, when most athletes typically retired, and continued through life-threatening injuries, cancer, and sixteen knee surgeries. She is now featured in the book, “Women of True Grit
,” written by Eddie Hand and Tina Savas. Anne will serve as the first spokeswoman for the Be TENAcious campaign, sharing her unique views and experiences on overcoming personal and professional challenges including bladder control issues.
for the oldest woman ever to compete in the Winter Olympics and is the first woman over fifty to participate in the Winter Games, single-handedly changing the perception of age in her sport (leading to her nickname “Grandma Luge”). Her eighteen-year Olympic career started after the age of thirty, when most athletes typically retired, and continued through life-threatening injuries, cancer, and sixteen knee surgeries. She is now featured in the book, “Women of True Grit,” written by Eddie Hand and Tina Savas. Anne will serve as the first spokeswoman for the Be TENAcious campaign, sharing her unique views and experiences on overcoming personal and professional challenges including bladder control issues.“Throughout my life, I have not been afraid to tackle the many obstacles that have stood in my way. Having experienced bladder control issues first hand, I know that for many women, the thought of admitting to the condition would be more stressful than even racing down a luge track at 80 miles per hour. That is why I am excited to join with TENA and am so passionate about helping motivate and inspire the millions of women facing the same condition to not let it deter them from achieving their goals,” said Be TENAcious spokeswoman, Anne Abernathy.
Women Are Suffering in Silence
Be TENAcious is the latest extension of the TENA Bladder Talk campaign, launched in 2009 to get women to open up about bladder control issues. The BladderTalk survey of 780 women in the U.S. and Canada found that nearly 40 percent of women with bladder control issues have never discussed their condition with anyone and – despite its severe emotional toll – 43 percent of them have never done anything about their symptoms.
For more information about the program and female bladder control issues, visit www.tena.us and www.HealthyWomen.org.
Blog Note: No compensation or products were provided in exchange for this blog post.