Photo Credit: Joey Kuhn, Grace Courvoisier
In honor of the S.E.A.K’s The Sports Bra Challenge which takes place this Thursday, May 17th, at Union Square Park, we will be donating $5.00 of every mi-bra sale to the S.E.A.K foundation, and running interviews with the founders. Please enter the coupon code “SBC” at checkout, so we can keep track of the sales attributed to this amazing cause.
The Sports Bra Challenge is a day-long charity fitness centered around women working out in a series of group fitness classes in their sports bras. Get in on this epic celebration of our bodies and support S.E.A.K. Foundation and City of Hope’s Positive Image Center, which helps cancer patients regain and retain confidence in how they look while undergoing treatment.If you’re not going to be near the NYC area: Wear a sports bra while you cook dinner, walk the dog, run outside, take a yoga class, or while hiking with your friends.
Second up is Jenny Gaither, who is responsible for curriculum design and operations.
GirlHabits: What do you love most about The Sports Bra Challenge?
Jenny Gaither: The Sports Bra Challenge challenges you to live in the present moment. You have to forget past insecurities about your body and stop thinking about what you would look like if you lost ten pounds. The Sports Bra Challenge makes you aware of all the amazing things you have, your body being the first.
GH: How has it changed you?
JG: Once you overcome an obstacle and experience how incredible it feels to face a fear, you start to believe that when you stay true to who you are, anything is possible. It’s a starting point to see your endless potential.
GH: What motivated you to be a part of it?
JG: I was tired of feeling insecure about my body and letting it get in the way of my social life. I woke up one morning last May and thought “Life is supposed to be enjoyable and fun, if you can’t enjoy it, then what’s the point?” I knew that to find happiness, I needed to feel comfortable with myself. So I challenged myself to not hide my body, but to show it off in front of my peers without worrying that I was being judged. I wore a sports bra in my Rihanna themed SoulCycle class in front of all my students, and that’s how The Sports Bra Challenge was born.
Photo Credit: Grace Courvoisier
GH: Why should women show their bellies?
JG: Many people think that if they attend The Sports Bra Challenge ,they have to wear a sports bra. The overall goal of The Sports Bra Challenge is not to wear a sports bra. Finding confidence and feeling comfortable in your own skin doesn’t happen over night. To feel comfortable in your body and to be surrounded by a community of people that support you is our goal. This day is a starting point for all people to feel good about themselves by taking one step at a time. So maybe for one person it’s wearing a tank top instead of an oversized tee, or maybe it’s about trying a community fitness class when you were too scared to do so. There are no rules.
GH: How do Jocelyn and Kelly motivate you to be a better person?
JG: In order to dream big and to accomplish big goals you have to believe in yourself, but you also need friends or family who whole-heartedly stand up for what you do. Kelly and Jocelyn have been my backbone throughout the whole process of creating S.E.A.K. and The Sports Bra Challenge. We all have such different strengths and bring something unique to the team. These girls inspire me and challenge me creatively and intellectually everyday. I would not be where I am today without these girls; I am literally living my dream, changing lives, and working with my best friends! What else could a girl want?!
Photo Credit: Joseph Kuhn
Jenny’s Amazing Bio:
Jenny Gaither, co-founder and director of S.E.A.K. Foundation is responsible for curriculum design and operations. Following a rapid ascent to the highest echelons of New York’s ultra-competitive fitness scene – her clients include high profile celebrities and top-tier executives – Gaither brings a unique perspective and first-class connections to S.E.A.K.’s work.
A certified personal trainer, health and fitness expert and in-demand instructor at indoor cycling leader SoulCycle, Jenny has taught pilates at the original Joseph Pilates studio. A dancer by training, Gaither moved to New York in 2009 and soon established a reputation for helping individuals discover the transformative emotional power of health and fitness – a vocation that lies at the heart of her vision for S.E.A.K. and inspired her to create the first “Sports Bra Challenge” event in 2011.
In 2011 Gaither was honored by lululemon athletica with its Ambassador of Leadership award and currently serves as a brand ambassador for the company. She is an ambassador for ZICO Beverages and member of TEAM ZICO, and shares her story each week on The Huffington Post.
Gaither graduated from the University of Illinois with a BFA in dance and received her pilates certification from the Pacific Movement Center in Monterey, Calif.
Jocelyn’s Interview: Bearing Your Truth with The Sports Bra Challenge
Tom Renner’s Story: Westport Native’s Sports Bra Backs Cause for Teens
Kelly’s Post: Introducing the Sports Bra Challenge
Tags: Huffington Post, Jenny Gaither, Jocelyn Levy, Kelly Hurley, Kelly The Culinarian, lulumelon, New York City, S.E.A.K Foundation, soulcycle, The Sports Bra Challenge, Tom Renner