Nike Run Club initiated a campaign to create conversations that inspire women to empower themselves through sport, to defy convention and break through judgement.

Women are at the top of their game and are making the world listen every day, in sport and in life. In India, cultural beliefs have led women to be judged, preventing them from having freedom to express and be themselves towards realizing their ambition and success. At the Mumbai marathon, Nike wanted to empower women through sports, to defy convention and break through judgement. To drive the change, that women wants to see in the world and her community.

The Sports Bra gives every woman support and protection whilst playing any form of sport. Yet that very armour is considered taboo by certain sects of society in India – still seen by some as a negative western influence on traditional ideals. The Members of the Nike Run Club ran the Mumbai Marathon breaking all the Taboos wearing their sports bra. Speaking to Globalspa over tête-à-tête Mishti Khatri, Shaleena Nathani, Diya Nayar, and Juhi Godambe, the Nike Run Club members, share their views of sport and women empowerment.

How do you feel about taking up this cause?

Mishti Khatri: I hope that I can inspire some women to feel free of judgement. Even if I can inspire one woman to shed her inhibitions and feel that It’s okay to do things her way; to run in a sports bra or a sleeveless t-shirt or shorts, I will feel that I made a difference somewhere.

Shaleena Nathani: I truly believe that you need to be yourself, and believe that – this is who I am, and I am not going to change or adapt just because somebody thinks it’s inappropriate. We all need to be true to ourselves and do what we truly believe in. What we wear doesn’t matter.

Diya Nayar: I think we all have a responsibility to be role models. Just imagine that if our mothers had not worked when they did, would we have the opportunity today to have a career or the chance to pursue professional goals?  If it hadn’t been for women of our previous generations who stood up and believed in fighting for their rights at the workplace or otherwise, we wouldn’t have had this empowerment today. Similarly, for us in this day and age, we have a responsibility to stand up and be role models for the next generation, because somewhere down the line when they grow up they should feel that it’s okay to be whoever they want to be, do whatever they want to do and that they are not going to be judged based on the choices they want to make.

Q: At any point in the marathon, were people staring at you for wearing a sports bra?

Mishti Khatri: To be honest, I was so focused on my run that I didn’t care or have the time to notice whether someone was looking at me or not. Some women definitely cheered me on, and one woman was holding a board that said, “You’re sexy no matter what”. I decided to take this as a compliment and just go ahead with my run. Even while we were walking towards the start line, there were a lot of people around, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.

Q: How important is the sports bra to you, personally?

Diya Nayar: I think it is a necessity. Forget about how aesthetic it is, it is something that you need regardless of what sport you are playing – working out at the gym you need it for protection and the support. You will end up harming yourself if you don’t.

Q: Anything that you would like to convey to women who run regularly but are kind of uncomfortable in doing so in a sports bra?

Shaleena Nathani: I actually found it very liberating today especially at the marathon, because it was literally just us 5 or 6 girls wearing a sports bra, and it felt really different and unique to me; not because we were trying to prove a point but we were trying to send out a message and be heard by everyone who saw us at the event. If people are going to stare, I’m fine because I felt fantastic.

Diya Nayar: I think whether it is a sports bra or a pair of shorts or tights, whatever it is, as long as you are comfortable then that is the message and take away from this. It’s okay to wear whatever you want without thinking about what people think or how your surroundings are going to make you feel. Hopefully, somebody going out for a run tomorrow is going to feel that sense of security that while they run in their comfortable outfit and don’t second guess it if they are going for a run by themselves.

Q: What do you think the great connection of sport and women empowerment is, as you have chosen to express yourself in this arena?

Juhi Godambe: Sports can help break down barriers, bring people together and inspire action through participation, and women can build confidence as they progressively use this as an outlet to express themselves. It can be reflected in the choice of clothes she wears and how she feels in them, the difficulty level of her work-out to challenge herself and cultivate her inner strength; and the like-minded people she meets whom she can continue to show progress with. In addition to this, there are many avenues of spreading body positivity through sports too. So, I really enjoy possibilities of expression through this lens.

Mishti Khatri: Such sport events like the Mumbai Marathon that take place at a large scale give you an opportunity to look at your role models. If you see women that you look up to, an athlete for example, running a marathon in shorts and a sports bra – it normalizes that outfit. They wear it because it is comfortable and it makes you feel that “Yes, I can wear this too”. So, I believe such initiatives or statements made at public events definitely help to drive awareness about causes related to women empowerment.

The energy and significance of the Mumbai Marathon was a perfect backdrop to inspire herself and her community to move, make a statement and take action through sport. The sports bra she wore serves as a defiance of judgement and symbol of female strength, while her running shoe serves as a symbol of freedom; the ability to define her own fate by moving forward.