Kenya’s First Female Winter Olympian Sabrina Simader Signs With Infinix Ahead of Note 60 Pro Launch

Kenya’s first female Winter Olympian, Sabrina Wanjiku Simader, has signed on as a brand partner for smartphone maker Infinix, aligning the Nairobi-born alpine skier with the company’s push into higher-end devices ahead of the local debut of its Note 60 Pro.

The partnership, announced Wednesday in Nairobi, comes as the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina draw global attention. Simader, who made history at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics as Kenya’s first female Winter Olympian, is attending this year’s Games as a spectator and mentor.

For Infinix, the collaboration is part of a broader strategy to associate its brand with themes of resilience and ambition as competition intensifies in Africa’s mid-range smartphone market. The company is preparing to launch the Infinix NOTE 60 Pro in Kenya in the coming weeks, positioning it as a step up in performance and user experience within its category.

Simader, who was born in Kenya and raised in Austria, has become a symbol of non-traditional participation in winter sports, competing internationally despite coming from a country with no domestic ski infrastructure. Her story has resonated with younger audiences across Africa, a demographic that smartphone brands are increasingly targeting as device replacement cycles shorten and demand for premium features grows.

Under Infinix’s “Beyond Snow, All-Round Legends” campaign, Simader will document her return to the Olympic stage using the company’s devices, capturing behind-the-scenes content and reflections from the slopes she once raced on. In a statement, she said her presence at the Games underscores that “dreams don’t end, they evolve.”

The Note 60 Pro will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 5G platform, marking the first time Infinix has incorporated a Snapdragon chipset into one of its smartphones. The device will also feature the company’s new Active Matrix Display technology, which it says is designed to enhance interactivity and immersion.

The launch follows the recent introduction of the Note Edge and signals what the company describes as a new chapter in its product lineup. Pricing and availability for the Kenyan market are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

In signing Simader, Infinix joins a growing roster of global handset makers leaning on high-profile athletes and cultural figures to build brand equity beyond hardware specifications, seeking to tap into aspiration and identity as key drivers of consumer loyalty.