Team USA Soccer Stars Alex Morgan and Heather Mitts Join the GNC LiveWell Team as Brand Ambassadors

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- GNC Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: GNC), a leading global specialty retailer of nutritional products, is pleased to announce that Alex Morgan and Heather Mitts, both outstanding members of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, have joined the GNC LiveWell Team as Brand Ambassadors. In that role, they will work with GNC to reach out to aspiring athletes and fitness enthusiasts through social media, video, appearances and marketing materials.

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They join a GNC LiveWell team that already includes ESPN college sports reporter and two-time Emmy Award winner Jenn Brown and Nora Tobin, competitive beach volleyball athlete, NASM-certified professional trainer, yoga instructor and author.

"Given GNC's loyal customer base of outstanding athletes and fitness enthusiasts, this is a great opportunity to talk about ways that being truly fit helps people live better lives, whatever their level of sports and fitness participation," said Alex Morgan.

Heather Mitts added, "I truly believe that we can all accomplish our goals in life. My goal as a member of the GNC LiveWell team is to demonstrate the benefits of working hard, on and off the field, to do just that."

"Alex and Heather are inspiring examples of athletes who have achieved great success both as competitors and as individuals," said Jeff Hennion, EVP - Chief Marketing Officer & e-Commerce at GNC (@jeffhennion). "They truly represent GNC's LiveWell concept to the fullest."

About Alex Morgan

From her days as the leading scorer at the University of California, Berkeley women's soccer team, to scoring her first FIFA World Cup goal in the July 2011 semi-final matchup against France, giving the USA a 3-1 lead and ultimately, the victory, Alex has been an outstanding performer. The youngest member of the U.S. national team, she graduated from Berkeley a full semester early thanks to her dedication in the off season and summer, with a degree in political economy. Alex concluded her career at Berkeley in the same manner in which she began it – as the California women's soccer team's season-leading scorer. She was taken first overall in the 2011 WPS Draft by the Western New York Flash.

You can follow Alex on Twitter @alexmorgan13, with 298,000+ followers, and on Facebook at Alex Morgan Fan Site, which has 344,000+ fans.

About Heather Mitts

Since breaking into the team full time in 2004, Heather has earned 109 caps and become one of the USA's steadiest members, playing in almost every game from her debut year to 2010. A WPS veteran, she played for the Atlanta Beat for the 2011 season. She graduated from the University of Florida as the all-time leader in games played (95), starts (94) and minutes played (7,547). Heather has also worked as a sports commentator for ESPN, NBC, Fox Sports and MLS, among others.

Find more information about Heather at HeatherMitts.com.

About GNC

GNC Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., is a leading global specialty retailer of health and wellness products, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplement products, sports nutrition products and diet products, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "GNC".

As of September 30, 2011, GNC has more than 7,500 locations, of which more than 5,800 retail locations are in the United States (including 919 franchise and 2,103 Rite Aid franchise store-within-a-store locations) and franchise operations in 52 countries (including distribution centers where retail sales are made).  The Company – which is dedicated to helping consumers Live Well – has a diversified, multi-channel business model and derives revenue from product sales through company-owned retail stores, domestic and international franchise activities, third party contract manufacturing, e-commerce and corporate partnerships.  Our broad and deep product mix, which is focused on high-margin, premium, value-added nutritional products, is sold under GNC proprietary brands, including Mega Men, Ultra Mega, GNC Wellbeing, Pro Performance and Longevity Factors, and under nationally recognized third party brands.  

Web: GNC.com l Twitter: @GNCLiveWell l Facebook: facebook.com/GNCLiveWell

Media Contact:
Laura Brophy
[email protected]  
212-537-5177, Ext 2

SOURCE GNC Holdings, Inc.