Culture

This Aussie Sprinter Used A Post-Race Interview To Plug Her Instagram And Boy Did It Work

Riley Day plugged her Instagram handle after it was revealed she had no sponsors. Less than a minute later, her following shot up by 14,000 and counting.

by Michelle Rennex  3 August 2021
Riley Day Instagram Olympics Woolworths Sponsor

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As the Tokyo Olympics enter the final week of competition, Australia’s best athletes continue to rake in the medals.

Currently sitting pretty in overall fourth place with an impressive 33 medals — 20 of which have come from our swimmers dominating water events — all eyes are currently on Australia’s runners to take us home. In particular, bets are on Peter Bol, the first Aussie in 53 years to make it to the men’s 800m final.

While we had some promising contenders in the men’s 100m with Rohan Browning and the women’s 200m with Riley Day, both Browning and Day just narrowly missed out on their finals place.

However, while Day missed out on her dream of gold, Australia has come through on the sprinter’s request for more Instagram followers after it was revealed that the 21-year-old Griffith University student is a Woolworths employee with no Olympic sponsors.

After securing a personal best time of 22.56 during her semi-final heat, Channel Seven chat to Day who was expectedly puffed from the run.

“Holy shit!” Day said in response to her new personal best. “That was a much better race than this morning. I’ve got my groove. I want to be the best, and I’m going to stop at nothing to be the best.”

But now officially scoring in the top eight of the fastest run times ever for an Australian with her new PB, Seven correspondent Jason Richardson couldn’t help but question why Day still had no sponsors backing her Olympic efforts.

“You need corporate support, I’m going to embarrass you…” Richardson started. “We want Australia to start supporting you. You’re working in Woolies in the produce section, you do the shopping for John who’s 90 and he can’t see. You do that every week.”

“You’ve got a big heart and you don’t have a sponsor. Come on Australia, get behind this young lady!”

Riley Day and her customer, John

Riley Day and John, the visually impaired 90-year-old customer she helps with his weekly shop. Credit: Woolworths Supermarkets / LinkedIn

In response, Riley Day used the national platform to plug her Instagram handle as she patiently waits for a potential sponsor to pick her up.

“I mean, if you do want to follow my journey. My Instagram is @_rileyday. That’s where I post most of my stuff, so. If you wanna follow along, that’s where it is,” she mentioned — and Australia listened.

Immediately after Day shared her Instagram handle, her following shot up from 21,000 followers to 35,000 in less than a minute. Today, Day’s following sits at 56,000 and counting as Australia rallies behind our superstar runner.

Now, with news that Riley Day literally works at Woolworths, and is without a sponsor, Australians are calling for the supermarket to do what is right and sponsor one of their own.

Prior to the race, Woolworths shared a post on LinkedIn to note that the company was “proud to see one of our team members represent Australia on the world stage” but mentioned nothing about a potential future sponsorship.

“Riley is an adored team member of our Beaudesert store in regional Queensland and is known for going the extra mile for our customers,” the post read. “For the past 18 months, she’s helped 90-year-old local John, who is visually impaired, with his weekly shop. She’s even memorised his grocery list and calls him on Sundays if he doesn’t turn up for his weekly shop.”

“When the ambitious 21-year-old, nicknamed the ‘Beaudesert Bullet’ is not replenishing stock or helping our customers, she’s working tirelessly on the track, training for at least three hours a day, six days a week,” the post continued. “Good luck Riley, we can’t wait to see you on the track!”

But Woolworths, Australia reckons that it’s high time you take luck out of it and back one of your own. Immediately. Unless Coles is looking to swoop in, of course.

If you’d like to chuck Riley Day a follow, her Instagram can be found here.

Image credit: Woolworths Supermarkets / LinkedIn