'Sports Bra Challenge' Encourages Women to Feel Awesome by Going Shirtless

On April 14th, the SEAK foundation will hold its second annual “Sports Bra Challenge,” which is “a day for all women to participate in a series of group fitness classes in their sports bras as a way of supporting and empowering one another to feel comfortable in our bodies.”

“Body image issues, lack of confidence and feelings of self-hate are all topics that most people encounter but are never addressed,” SEAK’s website reads. “The Sports Bra Challenge is about bringing people together to accept and share their insecurities and overcome their fear of them.”

Basically like a body-positive blog come to life?

The event encourages women to come in sports bras and men shirtless, but it’s not a requirement. There will be two Soulcycle classes and a kids’ Crunch gym class — the latter is free, but the bikes start at $100. Pricey, but everything will go towards the SEAK Builds Confidence Project, which gives schools workout equipment and apparel for needy students, and the City of Hope’s Positive Image Center for cancer patients transitioning back into normal lives after treatment.

Co-founder Jocelyn Levy told The Daily News that she and her friends came up with the idea for the sports bra challenge after realizing they didn’t feel “bikini body ready” (gag) even though they were healthy. “We were fitness enthusiasts, but we didn’t feel comfortable wearing a sports bra in public,” she said.

New Yorkers who are interested in participating should meet at Union Square Park at Sunday, April 14, at 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.