Breaking Barriers: Kelly Newton on Redefining Confidence and Activity with NIXI Body

Kelly Newton, co-founder of NIXI Body, is on a mission to empower women and girls to stay active throughout every stage of life. Drawing from her personal experiences as a mother, hockey player, and entrepreneur, Kelly has created a revolutionary line of leak-proof underwear that addresses challenges like bladder leaks, menstruation, and menopause.

In this candid interview, Kelly shares her journey, the inspiration behind NIXI Body, and how the brand is breaking taboos and reshaping conversations around women’s health and sports participation.

Nicolle: What inspired you to create NIXI Body, and how did your personal experiences as a mother and hockey player influence the brand's vision?

Kelly: I had a hysterectomy in my early 40’s, after suffering with really heavy periods, and this led to starting early menopause. One of my first physical symptoms was bladder leaks, which was more evident when I played hockey! Every time I stretched for the ball, I would leak, and it was mortifying.

As someone who had always been active and played sports, this started to really have a negative impact on both my game and my overall confidence. Wearing disposable products wasn’t an option, as they moved about and rubbed and chafed, and the reusable knickers on the market were big and bulky and made me feel like I was wearing a nappy. I designed NIXI to be completely invisible under tight clothing, but still absorbent enough to deal with leaks.  

Nicolle: NIXI Body has received multiple awards, including Best Period Product and Women’s Running Magazine’s Best Period Pants Award. How do these accolades impact your mission and reach?

Kelly: We have very proudly won period underwear of the year four times now in Women’s Running Magazine, and due to that, have become very popular with runners. When I started the business it was because of my love of sports, I have played either football, netball or hockey since I was 9 years old (I’m now 53). Unfortunately, over 65% of girls give up physical activity once their periods start, which makes our mission even more important. We want girls and women to keep moving their bodies through all life stages, as we know how important movement is for our physical and mental health.

Nicolle: What challenges did you face in launching your first line of leak-proof underwear in 2019, and how did you overcome them?

Kelly: Sustainability is a key focus of NIXI Body. Can you share more about the environmental impact of your products and why this is important to you? Over 200,000 tonnes of waste is produced each year from disposable period products. Each tampon and pad takes around 800 years to decompose and there is the equivalent of 4 plastic bags in each pack of pads.

When I looked at how much waste we as a family were producing, I was horrified. With four teenage foster daughters in the house, I was throwing away at least a bag full every week. If you make the switch to reusables, not only are you saving tonnes of waste that ends up in landfills and on our beaches, but you will also save money in the long run.  Although there is an initial outlay, our knickers will last up to 3 years. The amount of money you will spend on disposables over three years is almost twice as much as what you would pay for five pairs of our knickers.

Nicolle: Your partnerships with organizations like England Netball, Scottish Hockey, BBAHC, and Pledgeball demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting women in sports. How do these collaborations shape your brand’s goals?

Kelly: These partnerships are so important to us. It enables us to reach more girls to educate and empower them. The benefits of sports include reducing anxiety and stress, boosting self-esteem and confidence and improving focus and discipline. Periods should not be a barrier to participation in sport and NIXI, working alongside our partners can play a small part in that.

Nicolle: NIXI Body products are now available at Boots, Superdrug online, QVC, and Park Run’s website. What strategies did you use to secure such significant retail partnerships?

We have built so many great relationships with the buyers from these teams.   All of these partnerships have been built from authenticity. My co-founder, Coni, and I have very relatable stories that we aren’t afraid to share, and women do resonate with us. I think it also helps that we have a brilliant product!

Nicolle: Sports stars like Sophie Power, Tammy Beaumont, and Tess Howard endorse NIXI Body. How have their endorsements influenced public perception of your brand?

I think endorsements from people in the public eye, if managed authentically, really do help to elevate our brand. Sophie was one of the first women to advocate for us after she tested them for Women’s Running Magazine.  We reached out to Tess because of the work she has done with inclusive sportswear and again, she really loves the knickers and asked to be an ambassador. We would never pay someone to say they love the knickers, that’s just not our vibe.

Nicolle: You’re passionate about breaking taboos around bladder leaks, menstruation, and menopause. How does NIXI Body contribute to these important conversations?

Myself and Coni are very open about our issues. I have absolutely no shame in sharing the story of my incontinence, dry vagina or UTI’s. Coni loves talking about periods and cervical mucus! We get so many messages from women who have seen our social media and thank us for being so open.  We also bring in lots of experts as we can only talk from our experience, and we work with a wonderful women’s health physio called Jennie Hughes.

Nicolle: What advice would you give to women struggling to maintain an active lifestyle due to challenges like menstruation, bladder leaks, or menopause?

Kelly: I think it’s really important to think about the long-term goals of moving your body.  In regards to periods, download an app so you can arrange your workout around the time of your cycle. Sometimes in the month, you have no energy, so just a slow-paced walk or yoga class will work for you. Bladder leaks can cause havoc with working out, it really can knock your confidence. Make sure you are doing your Kegels, breathing exercises really help as well and cut out caffeine! High-impact sports are very challenging - just make sure you are wearing your NIXIs. Since menopause, I have started lifting weights, reformer pilates and I play golf. Find what works for you but try and move your body a couple of times a week.

Nicolle: Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals for NIXI Body, and how do you envision the brand evolving in the future?

Kelly: We want to keep growing in the sports space and be the underwear that all girls and women wear to work out, play sports and move their bodies in. We are looking to start exporting next year and are already having some really exciting conversations. Passionate about providing high-quality, plastic-free products, NIXI Body’s range of leak-proof underwear is designed specifically to support women to remain active through different female life stages, including menstruation, motherhood, perimenopause and menopause.

Kelly Newton’s journey with NIXI Body exemplifies resilience, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to empowering women. By creating sustainable, high-quality products and fostering partnerships with athletes and organizations, NIXI Body is not only breaking stigmas but also enabling women to move confidently through every stage of life. Whether tackling bladder leaks or breaking period taboos, Kelly’s vision continues to inspire a more inclusive, active future.

For more about NIXI Body and their mission, visit www.nixibody.com.

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Nicolle Knapova is a little bit of everything. She is a freelance translator and content creator. She loves indie music and is always browsing through Spotify to find the next amazing artist to obsess over. Her love for storytelling means she’s always writing something and she’s not afraid of any genre. Her biggest dream is to be a published author. If she’s not writing her fan fiction, she’s writing her poetry and sharing it on her Instagram @elisecaverly.