Here’s to the Hyderabad girls who ran in sports bras to reclaim their bodies

When the rest of Hyderabad’s running community was lacing up to get set for the annual 10 K city run held on Sunday morning, a bunch of Hyderabadi women were bracing up to ‘shed it’ and run. The November morning nip in the air; the fear of getting stared at; the self-consciousness — nothing would deter them from stepping out of their homes and hitting the track to run in their sports bras.For the uninitiated, this was Hyderabad’s version of the ‘shed it run’, which first made headlines in India when a group of women runners in Delhi decided to run together in their sports bras. “This 10 K run was an event that focussed on social causes, and for us, reclaiming our bodies is as much a personal cause as it is social,” says Mihira Appnender, who came up with the idea to attempt a ‘Shed it run’ in the city.
It was two weeks before the run that Mihira put the word out calling upon Hyderabad’s women folk to join her in this run wearing just their sports bras. Eventually, it was four women —Alana Poole, Punarnavi Bhupalam, Havovi Batliwala and Mihira herself — who stood out in their sports bras, among a sea of people wearing neon orange gear. Admittedly, Mihira was inspired by the Delhi runners who “shed their inhibitions, fears and self-consciousness” and decided to run in sports.
“When I read about these girls, I was so inspired that I thought it would be fabulous to replicate the same here in Hyderabad. Last year, I ran at the same event in support of an NGO that creates awareness about menstruation. I was looking for a cause to support this time around, and thought why not this one. After all, body shaming and self-consciousness is a vicious cycle we women are trapped in all the time,” she says.

‘WE PREPARED OURSELVES FOR THE WORST’
While the run ended on a high for the four brave women, they were a bundle of nerves before it started, they confess. “I wanted my friends to join me in their sports bras because I was too nervous and scared to do it by myself. So finding out that three other women heeded my call and turned up in a sports bra felt reassuring,” says Mihira, adding, “Before we started the run, we were preparing for the worst. We were worried whether people will come and question us, or if policemen would tell us that we cannot run like this. But once we began our run, all our fears vanished. It was exhilarating. We did get stared at a bit, but it was more out because we were doing something different; not people looking at us in a creepy way. Also, our focus was on reaching the finish line, so after a while, I guess we just shut everything else out and ran. That in itself is a huge win.”

‘I STRUGGLED WITH BODY ISSUES AS A CHILD, SO THIS WAS A PERSONAL CHALLENGE FOR ME’
Alana Poole, a California-based student, who is in Hyderabad as part of an exchange programme, says that this her first experience running in a sports bra. “While growing up, I had struggled with body issues. So, when I read about this initiative on WhatsApp, I wanted to be part of it to see what my body can do and experience what it feels like to be comfortable in my skin. Also, I thought it’s a great way to spread awareness about body positivity in India,” shares Alana, who has been in Hyderabad for the past three months. “At first, I was slightly intimidated since this is the first time that I’m running in public in just a sports bra. But I felt quite comfortable once the run began. A few people looked away; some looked at us with intrigue; some smiled. But personally, I must say this was by far my best run,” adds the 21-year-old.
‘FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I WORE SOMETHING WITHOUT THINKING ‘LOG KYA KAHENGE’
While the Shed It Run helped some battle body shaming, for others it was about shedding their inhibitions along with their t-shirts — all this without the fear of being judged. Havovi Batliwala, 24, says, “Usually, before going to a party or an event, I always find out who is going to be there and then dress accordingly. But on Sunday, I just ran wearing a sports bra amidst hundreds of people without giving it too much thought. it was truly exhilarating. I was a fat girl as a child and was always quite conscious about my weight. It was only in the last four to five years, that I started working on my fitness and losing weight. With this run I finally shed my inhibitions and was able to be myself in a crowd of strangers. I think it’s about time women started feeling comfortable in their own skin. Why should I be shy to be who I am?”
Mihira meanwhile, hopes that this starts a conversation about body positivity. “There’s this whole perception about what a good, bad or perfect body is. We want to see a day when women are truly comfortable in their own skin, no matter what size they are. Women’s safety is another issue. Strangely, we are blamed for our choice of clothes when something untoward happens. But when we just going about doing our own thing, why should what we are wearing even matter?” Mihira questions, adding, “So many women shy away from running or any other fitness activity for that matter because they are conscious about what they’re wearing or worry about how men will look at them when they run. But why should we allow a few roving eyes stop us from staying fit? That’s the biggest takeaway for me from this run, and I’d love to do it again.”
‘IT’S NOT ABOUT SPORTS BRAS; IT’S ABOUT BODY POSITIVITY, SAFETY AND STAYING FIT’
Reacting to those who say ‘but why should you even run in a bra, which is supposed to be innerwear, Punarnavi says, “When we run wearing sports bras abroad, nobody cares. So why should it be any different in India? A woman should have the choice to wear whatever she wants, without worrying about what people think. We are not asking all women to run wearing sports bras. This is something that we choose to wear and we should be able to make that choice without being judged.”
Adding that she is done with being told what women can and cannot wear, the actress, who has featured in films like Uyyala Jampala and Pittagoda, says, “When I’m at the gym, I should ideally focus only on my muscles, fitness and run. Instead, I keep thinking whether my leggings are too tight or if my shorts are too small. This should change. We must be able to workout without having to worry about being looked upon as sex objects. And that is the message of the Shed It Run.”