Suzy ChapStick: Olympic Skier Suzy Chaffee Sold Us On Fitness

By | October 31, 2018

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Suzy Chaffee endorsing Chapstick lip balm. Source: Twitter

Few products and pitch-persons were a better fit than Suzy Chaffee and ChapStick lip balm. Chaffee, an Olympic skier and fitness celebrity, was photogenic and loved by the public, and ChapStick was just what a girl needed to keep her lips looking their best on the slopes. Suzy Chaffee became known as Suzy Chapstick -- but that's just one part of her story.

Chaffee is credited with starting the 1970s fitness craze, helping pass Title IX legislation, and inventing a new sport. In her spare time, she acted, modeled, and designed skiwear. A tireless champion for women in sports, Suzy Chaffee worked alongside U.S. Presidents, business tycoons, and famous entertainers to get the word out about the benefits of sports. 

Suzy Chaffee Was an Olympian

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Suzy Chaffee on the cover of 'Parade,' February 4, 1968. Source: Amazon

Born into an Olympic family in 1946, Suzanne “Suzy” Chaffee followed in her mother’s footsteps and learned to ski at an early age. When she was 19 years old, she earned a spot on the U.S. Ski Team and was prepared to represent the United States at the 1968 Grenoble Olympics. She attracted attention for wearing a metallic silver, skin-tight ski suit, which she felt helped to make her faster by reducing wind resistance. The European press dubbed her “Miss Olympics”, but her performance on the slopes was not outstanding. She finished in 28th place, yet she remained a popular athlete of the Games.