When the official anthem, "Own Your Moment," reverberates across Alexander Stadium this August, thousands of spectators will recognise the infectious, high-energy track driving the central marketing campaign for the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships.
But fewer will know the extraordinary story of the woman behind the microphone: UK singer-songwriter Abi Flynn.
For European Athletics and its global stakeholders, an official event anthem is a critical commercial asset designed to elevate event presentation, secure digital traffic and capture younger, non-traditional demographics.
But in selecting Flynn to perform the track – co-written with chart-topping artist Grace Davies – the federation has captured something far more valuable: a living, breathing embodiment of the championships’ core competitive values.
An Authentic Alignment of Values
The synergy between elite athletics and Flynn’s personal journey is undeniable.
In her 20s, Flynn was diagnosed with the severe blood cancer Hodgkin's lymphoma and was told by doctors that she wouldn’t live to be able to become a mother. Refusing to let her circumstances dictate her future, she recorded vocal tracks during her intense treatment phases.
While she fought her way back to health and miraculously navigated the hurdles of motherhood against medical predictions, those vocals quietly went global. She became the uncredited, "mystery voice" fuelling multi-platinum commercial house and dance hits streamed by millions worldwide.
“When I first heard the emotional energy envisioned for the championship brief, it really resonated with me," says Abi. "It was all about courage, perseverance, strength and coming through the impossible to keep fighting for your dream.
“Because of my journey as a cancer survivor, it was completely easy for me to tap into those emotions because I just sang about my own journey. The writing process actually helped me to recognise how far I've come. It was a real-time process of writing the song and living its message."
Elevating Event Theatre and Fan Engagement
For stakeholders focused on the live experience and broadcast footprint, the anthem serves as the emotional baseline for the event presentation. Far from a standard corporate sports track, Flynn’s upbeat, stadium-ready sound is built to unify a crowd.
"Music connects us to that feeling that's in the air at a massive sporting collective – that feeling of hope, triumph and togetherness," said Abi. "The song is made to be very singable so that the crowd can bring their voices together. Right before the big stars step on to the track, bringing all our voices together at such an important moment definitely adds to the positivity of the atmosphere."
Breaking Beyond Traditional Sports Media
From a commercial perspective, "Own Your Moment" is already proving its worth as a strategic digital asset, allowing European Athletics to cross-pollinate with contemporary music media.
"Interestingly, I’d never followed athletics before this process," the singer candidly admits, highlighting the exact casual fan demographic the federation aims to reach.
"But in recording and creating this song, we filmed a lot of beautiful visual content for social media. It has opened me up to the whole sports world. It’s driven a lot of traffic to the athletics event, and brought their audience to my page. Crossing media is always a great thing for broadening audiences."
The Ultimate Stage in Birmingham
When Abi steps out to perform the anthem completely live at Alexander Stadium, backed by a national broadcast distribution on the BBC, it will mark a striking intersection of cultural art and elite sport.
For the Brighton-based singer, performing in Birmingham also brings a unique local correlation. She recently secured her first official Top 40 hit alongside Birmingham dance-music icon Nathan Dawe, building a passionate young following in the West Midlands just before landing the European Athletics anthem.
Standing in the centre of the stadium will be her own hard-won milestone. "Owning Your Moment applies equally to an elite athlete running a final and a musician performing live," she concludes.
"After years of having a world-famous voice without my name on it, stepping out as the face of this anthem is an amazing breakthrough. To stand there completely live, covered by the BBC, feels a bit scary, but amazing. I am ready to stand there and be of service to something greater than myself."