Oiselle, Bras, and Destiny
Sometimes when I am talking abstractly about a Oiselle project, or endlessly logisticizing on my computer, it can be hard to keep the heart of what I am doing at the center of my consciousness. This was the perfect reset. "Hit Reset" for the soul.
We at Oiselle had a hunch that Girls on the Run would be a perfect audience for our GOT Bras program: sports bra education and bra giveaways for elementary and middle school girls.
Hunch confirmed!
Sally and I arrived at Renton Memorial Stadium right at 6am with our 2 vehicles loaded to gills with boxes of bras and bra education booklets. We started setting up the Oiselle tent by 6:10am. And then we did not take a spare breath until we ran out of bras at 10:45am. It was a frenzy of bra love and education!
Our awesome Volée helped us all morning (Sara, Shannon and weebirds, Steph, Jess, Lauren, Lindsay, and Bethany), and Hannah and Jess were on photog/socials duty. Our rockstar #sportsbrasquad leader Kelly Roberts flew in the night before to bring the sports bra mojo: from Brooklyn half to 6 hour flight to 4 hour sports bra mayhem!
The morning was perfectly imperfect. After a few earlier trickles, the girls, buddies, and moms starting lining up promptly at 8am.
Conversations ran the gamut, from sizing questions to how to fit a bra; from "What is oy-zell?" to "Running is fun, but it's hard." (Amen, sister!)
The bra crowd thinned a bit during the actual 5K. The pics of the race gave me goosebumps!
Girls signed a big poster: "How does running make you feel?" Amazing. Happy. Strong. Tired. Boss. Positive. Energized. Sleepy. Buff. Happy. Happy. Happy.
To shorthand my sizing explanation with the 50-person deep line, I just starting pointing to Kelly's chest and my chest saying: "She's an 8, I'm a 4. We have size 2 to 12." Haha! A few dads with their daughters didn't really know what to do with that. I flipped through our bra books when passing them out: "Bodies change! Read this at home!"
We bonked and recovered by sharing bananas and warm string cheese.
And then, we ran out of bras, to a collective groan.
And sometime in the middle of a discussion with a mom and her very shy girl who was looking away (but occasionally would look over and meet my eye); as I was talking about how the chest band should be snug but not too tight, how the lungs have to be able to expand; how some bounce when you jump (like this!) is ok, but not too much...I had a moment when I stepped out of my body and realized. This is exactly what we are supposed to be doing. This is huge. And important. And I got choked up.
This program is perfect marriage of Oiselle's passion, product (bras!), our amazing community (our Volée, Haute Volée, Muses), and our core beliefs of body acceptance and physical activity as a route to strength. And I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to help get GOT Bras off the ground. Thank you so much, all of you, for your support of this program. Thank you to our Volée, who donate $25 from each team membership to our Woman Up Fund which supports GOT Bras. Thank you for your bra purchases, and your #MilesToRollMama. And thank you for modeling strength, the running lifestyle, and body love to girls.
Photos by: Jess Barnard
We're just getting started! Head up, wings out!
MORE STORIES
Core Routine For Runners: The Dozen
I was introduced to the "The Dozen" in the winter of 2012 by my favorite Oregon running family. I love this set of core exercises for its efficient targeting of core muscle groups, and because no gym equipment is required! You can do this on a grass field, in your hotel room, or really anywhere you can lay on a flat surface.
Reflecting on the Year of the Underbird
This past August, we launched our Year of the Underbird program: an open application for aspiring Olympic Trials marathoners, with a promise to select 5 women for a 6 month contract encompassing a stipend, gear, storytelling, and community support. As we reach the end of our flight with our selected athletes, we invited each of them to share a few reflections on their past 6 months as teammates.
Black History Month: Celebrating Our Athletes
We are honored to support five exceptional Black women athletes challenging norms in the running industry: athletes, advocates, and powerful voices in the sport. We invited each of them to reflect on their journeys through sport: how their identity has affected their development, and how they hope to impact the rising generation of athletes. Hear from Madie Boreman, Kendra Coleman, Brenna Detra, Carmen Pelar Graves, and Ari Hendrix-Roach.