On May 29th, the Challenge Day 2024 takes place. The campaign, which this year reaches its 30th edition milestone, is led by TAFISA (The Association For International Sport for All), with institutional support from ISCA (International Sport and Culture Association), UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), and coordinated by Sesc São Paulo in the Americas. 

Implemented by public and private institutions in 14 Latin American countries, the campaign will feature hundreds of activities held on a single day, drawing attention to the importance of regular physical and sports activities. 

But before we can engage in Challenge Day, Sesc São Paulo will hold three meetings for the official launch of the campaign: on April 23rd at Sesc Rio Preto, 25th at Sesc Sorocaba, and 30th at Sesc Belenzinho in São Paulo. 

With the participation of Gabriela Callejas, co-founder and director of Cidade Ativa, Professor Ligia Vizeu (University of São Paulo), and researcher Beatriz Oliveira (Fiocruz/Piauí), the idea is to present the concept of Challenge Day 2024, create a space for knowledge transfer, stimulate and motivate key project stakeholders, and ensure a space for relationships between public and private organizations. 

In addition to the in-person meetings, on May 7th at 11:30 am, Sesc will hold an online meeting (access at us02web.zoom.us/u/kO32ruCH7 – Meeting ID: 847 5093 7488), focusing on national and international partners but open to interested public, to present the concepts and proposals created for the 2024 edition of the campaign. 

Get ready, participate, and  

Jump into this Challenge! 

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In view of the current health crisis marked by profound changes in the social dynamics, with particular attention to sensitive issues such as respect for diversity, equality, and solidarity, Challenge Day reaches its 27th edition with the responsibility of contributing to the process of human development for the good living of everyone.   

Based, above all, on the humanitarian principle of the Common Good, Challenge Day in 2021 proposes the concept “Physical activity: Good for me! Good for everyone!”, highlighting the importance of regular physical activity, primarily, as an essential lifestyle for health and harmony in social life. The campaign will be carried out on May 26, under the worldwide coordination of TAFISA – The Association For International Sport for All. In the American Continent, Sesc SP coordinates the event with the institutional support of ISCA – International Sport and Culture Association – and UNESCO. 

In 2020, in a context of the pandemic, the event counted with 12 participating countries in the American Continent, with an emphasis on actions in the digital environment, resulting in thousands of interactions through social networks and consolidating the physical and sports manifestations as an important platform for dialogue and community action among territories. 

Thus, considering the good practices highlighted in this format, we emphasize that there won’t be the traditional friendly competition between cities in 2021, not being necessary to formalize the registration in the official Challenge Day system. 

In this way, we invite the network of partners to join efforts to promote online actions, and/or in person, when possible, and encouraging the public to register their participation on the campaign’s official website and social networks. 

Finally, we would like to invite you to join another edition of Challenge Day to be held on May 26, 2021, to disseminate and put into practice the purposes of the campaign. 

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Over 25 years, Challenge Day has consolidated itself as one of the most important community movements to encourage the practice of physical activity and sport, individual or collective and in different contexts and spaces of manifestation, such as streets, parks, schools, companies, clubs, among others.

With the changes that we have all experienced in this moment, marked by social distance and restricted circulation, new habits and routines are essential and takes us to a new way of being even with the relationship between sports and physical activity.

Even more important is the connection created by this great network of partners, made up of cities, institutions and people around the same purpose – to encourage and enable the regular practice of physical activities in all stages of life and for all the audiences. And in this new routine, is it possible to maintain an active lifestyle safely? For this answer, we join forces to show how to be healthier by workout at home.

The digital environment is a reality in our lives. We can watch movies and talk with family and friends by video. But do you, in this environment, also find a motivation to maintain an exercise routine that matches your day? So we invite you to participate in the Challenge Day next Wednesday, May 27, to discover how to improve your well-being and quality of life with small changes in your routine.

This year, Challenge Day will bring together challenges, classes, tips and informations shared through social networks on the Challenge Day profile on Facebook, instagram @esportesescsp and on Sesc’s partners and network channels, throughout Brazil and across countries in the American continent. Check it out!

About Challenge Day

Coordinated worldwide by TAFISA – The Association For International Sport for All and, on the American Continent, by Sesc São Paulo with institutional support from ISCA – International Sport and Culture Association and UNESCO, it has consolidated itself as one of the most important community movements to fight against sedentary lifestyle.

Until 2019, Brazil and 13 more countries in the American continent, such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela participated in the Triennial Challenge, started in 2018 , in which the pair of cities (that was drawn in 2018) besides competing with each other would join efforts to increase the number of practitioners of physical activities and sports, in a competition that would continue until 2020.

How to participate

Follow the content here on the website and follow the official social networks of Challenge Day (don’t forget to activate the notifications) to get inspired, participate in one of these actions, resume a physical activity you already practiced or create your own training / challenge and share with the hashtags #ChallengeDay and #ChallengeDayTogether. If your profile on the social network is private, we will not be able to view your publication, but you can send your registration by message through our Facebook profile so that we can have access.

Stay active and come with us! All #ChallengeDayTogether!

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Created in Canada, the event is coordinated worldwide by TAFISA – The Association For International Sport for All and Sesc São Paulo in the American continent. Besides, it has the support of institutions as The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA), and the local governments’ cooperation.

“On this day, with the leading role shared between public and private institutions, we are able to create a network of people that embrace the challenge of offering opportunities to make everybody’s lives more active. This creates a scenario that favors the adoption of healthy habits in the routines, which are essential in promoting social wellbeing and improving the quality of life -one of the values of Sesc actions”, states the regional director of Sesc São Paulo, Danilo Santos de Miranda.

On the last Wednesday in May, different cities from Latin America face each other in a friendly competition that encourages their population to exercise throughout the day. The winner city will be the one that gathers the largest number of inhabitants taking part of the challenge, compared to its population.
The pairs of cities, of approximate population, were raffled at 2018’s edition for a three years competition that continues until 2020. In other words, those pairs will continue as partners for the competition and will add strengths to raise the number of active people. Beyond the challenge between cities, each pair classifies itself, as a unit, on a new ranking: City + City. This calculates the sum of both cities results, and it is updated each year, stimulating the exchange of good practices between towns so that together they reach a better global result.

One of the highlights this year is the city of São Paulo competing with Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. Both cities are, together, on the fourth place in their category – more than 999.999 inhabitants – on City + City ranking.

For the Coordinator of Challenge Day in the American Continent, Maria Luiza Souza Dias, the local accomplishments is the true motor of this campaign. “With the involvement of organizations from several sectors, Challenge Day comes to its 25th edition encouraging the diffusion of good practices, which makes this mobilization collective and important for the means of mutual cooperation, support and integration between the most diverse partners, broadening more and more physical and sports activities worldwide”.

With several activities held in all Sesc’s centers in the state of São Paulo, beyond public spaces such as Road Terminal Rodoviário, Parks, Underground Stations, the program holds free activities with open classes, games and a lot of actions with sport personalities.
Complete Program: sescsp.org.br/diadodesafio

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Despite the efforts made by local governments, institutions and individuals committed to reduce inactivity and improve the quality of life, it is necessary to be aware to the political, economic and social factors of the country. In this regard, we stress the truckers ‘ strike, which began on last May 21 and accounts several points of strikes throughout the country.

As a result, the effects of the circumstances are the shortages of fuel, food and other services. Emergency measures are required from municipalities, States and Federation in order to minimize the social impact.

In this scenario, some cities have expressed the incapability to develop Challenge Day actions on schedule. For these municipalities, please be advised that the event can also happen on the following days: 13, 20 or 27 June (Wednesdays).

In cities where participation is confirmed on May 30, we reinforced the importance of recording all activities and send the total of people mobilized to the Executive Secretariat of Challenge Day up to 9 p.m. of June 4.

For more information, be in contact with the Executive Secretariat by e-mail diadodesafio.ingles@sescsp.org.br

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Our neighbors Colombians are also engaged. In 2015, 131 cities participated, with nearly 4.2 million people. Last year, the number of cities included practically doubled (245) and about 2 million citizens engaged in this cause. Over there, the practice of physical activity is not restricted only to the last Wednesday of May. Cycling, for example, is a common habit in Colombian cities, either in the countryside or in the capital, Bogota, children and adults are always biking.

Since the year 2013, the Recreation District y Deporte Institute (IDRD) started a partnership with the Department of Education of Bogotá to launch a project to encourage the use of bike as means of transport for the children go to school. The program is Al Colegio en Bici -School by bike, in English. The idea arose from the Subdirección Técnica de Recreación y Deporte do IDRD, and aims to bring the culture of bike to the school environment, empowering teachers and educators to give support to children.

Students living at distances between one to three kilometers are selected to win a bike, making safe routes and accompanied by caravans. “It’s a project of life,” says Oscar Ruiz Brochero, head of the IDRD Recreation Area. Another proof that the bike is part of their routine was the creation of a bicycle path on Sunday, in the capital, with 121 kilometers, attending over one and half million people. In addition to this space, the city still has more than 5.000 parks available to ride.

Actions such as Al Colegio in Bici make the challenge happens every day in an enjoyable way.

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If you have been to the doctor and even though is feeling blue, with no motivation, you can attempt many techniques to feel better. Physical activity is one of them.

Ricardo Muotri, specialist in Adapted Physical Education and Health, states that exercise helps the self-knowledge, tests our own limits and increases the self-esteem.

You know when you lose a bid and the crowd sings: “ok, ok, we know it wouldn’t be possible”? This kind of support makes us learn to cope with the frustration of a defeat, thanks to the group care. Understanding the importance of teamwork is another lesson that can (and should) be taken to our daily life, to make everything lighter. In addition, we learn to cope with the differences what is also a personal victory of sport.

Most people care with aesthetics when thinking to change to a more active routine. However, for Yara Maria de Carvalho, teacher of the Department of Pedagogy of Movement of the Human Body, first you need to think about the values of sports. “I defend the sport that assigns values of cooperation, engagement and solidarity, and not exclusion and isolation”.

In each stage of life, we change, we have other needs and values and in this sense, the physical activity contributes in different ways. In childhood, it is basic to learn the limits of each other, so Ricardo believes that collective sport have more advantages in this age group, once it deals with socialization.

For seniors, physical activity is one of the ways to prevent the various diseases affecting this age group. The specialist says that individual practices are more interesting here, because it is easier to outline the exercise intensity and duration.

Now you know a few reasons to start, but in the middle of the process there is always something or excuse and you give up, Ricardo presented us a few tips to carry on practicing:

1. Find a sport that you enjoy or have a cool group to motivate you.
2. Plan small goals. Complex objectives can be frustrating.
3. Create individual motivations that may be the pleasure of the activity itself or a personal reward.

It is important to enjoy what you are doing. When we do it for pleasure, it becomes easier to create strategies for not giving up even if the day is cold, the laziness is at your door, a headache strikes or any other difficulty seems to be a barrier. According to Yara there are more than 300 body practices to try and many ways to care for the health: “the essential is not to impose physical limits but use the body intelligence”.

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Portela tells us that the race brought many benefits to her life. “I am always up for everything. Even my working energy has improved. Another thing is that I was very shy. I couldn’t even say “I love you” to others. Today, I talk about my feelings, I have fun. I am a person 100% better. When I retire it will be even better.” In 14 years, Portela never thought about stopping. “Of course it happens to be too lazy to go out for a jog. I turn sides and sleep. But when I wake up and see the sun, I regret missing the activity “, she remarks. The runner knows she inspires other people inside and outside home. Minor grandchildren (she has five grandchildren and a great-grandson) say they want to “run like Grandma” when they grow up. In addition, in the Vida Corrida there is always a youngster showing up: “If this lady does, why wouldn’t I? ‘”. Portela ended up involved in the management of Vida Corrida. “I am part of the Board and will only leave if Neide expels me” she jokes.

How it all began
Neide is Marineide dos Santos Silva, 56 years, founder of the Associação de Moradores da Cohab Adventista, Capão Redondo, southern area of São Paulo and creator of Projeto Vida Corrida.She started practicing sports at the age of 14, had no opportunity to dispute the Olympic Games but became an amateur runner. In 1999, Neide taught running for the first time. The group was formed by six women, grew a lot and nowadays counts 600 persons from 6 years old. “There is no age limit. We had an 80 years old lady runner” she remarks.The runner comments that Sesc and the NGO are partners from the beginning. “The first time I ran in group was at the Sesc Circuit in Interlagos. Since then, we join all activities: Sesc Summer, Move Brasil and Challenge Day “. Neide learned to organize races with the support of Sesc. About Challenge Day, Neide explains that in 2016 the NGO managed to gather more than 3000 people. “We had a long walk and sports court activities. Sesc introduced Yoga and Polo activities for us to meet”.

Neide believes that the greatest difficulty is to start and remain in physical activity. For her, what works is to form groups. “I live in a community and understand that people need to get together, to call the neighbor, partner, brother, sister… When the group is growing and people are starting to realize the benefits, they get inspired and continue. In fact, there’s no secret. Starting is the deal. People need to understand that life is not a remote control” she concludes.

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Nowadays, more and more people have pursued to occupy public spaces for leisure, entertainment and physical activities.  So, initiatives that propose to reinvent urban environments such as those created by IPIU (Instituto de Pesquisa e Inovação em Urbanismo) are gaining more followers.

Julia Miranda Aloise an architect and researcher of the Institute and the group of researchers propose simple and practical interventions, using traffic cones, paint, window flowers, pallets and other materials that can be adapted to build parklets, pocket parks and urban gardens in cities.

A project created by the group of researchers in conjunction with the population and the private sector was Batatalab, in the Largo da Batata, São Paulo. With new urban street furniture and cultural profile, the Largo now gathers gourmet, sporting and cultural events. “What was once inhospitable became crowded once people realized the potential of that area”. says Julia.

For the architect Emilio Bertholdo Neto, who is also a researcher at the IPIU, it is all part of a cycle. “When people find new use for a place, it begins to attract more people. The movement attracts economic development and trade, and that attracts even more public”. On Sundays the opening of the Avenida Paulista and the Elevado President João Goulart, both in São Paulo (SP), are examples that encourage diverse uses for the streets.

Challenge Day: take back the street!

Challenge Day wants to awaken the desire to practice physical activities. According to Julia it can also be a motivation to occupy spaces in the city “people can take ownership of the street for sports too. The street is the right place for games and healthy competition among children”.

Bertholdo tells us that this is a worldwide action, with initiatives, for example, in Africa, where children use a soil field as soccer court, attracting from fans who gather around to watch the games, to street vendors. There are similar movements in Medellin, Colombia or in New York, USA, among others scattered around the world.

How to start? Can I do this? Yes, you can and should. IPIU experts clarify that small interventions do not require legal permits. Meeting some friends, preparing a nice pathway and forming a group to run are a great start. Play ball in the park, walk, rollerblade, skateboard or cycle are some easy, inexpensive and practical options available.

For him, it is important to create awareness on the importance of a democratic relationship with the cities, in which forces have the same desires and goals. “The city is ours, the public space is ours, we need to treat it well so that people can use it,” concludes the architect.

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• Category 1 – up to 9.999 inhabitants
• Category 2 – from 10.000 to 19.999 inhabitants
• Category 3 – from 20.000 to 49.999 inhabitants
• Category 4 – from 50.000 to 99.999 inhabitants
• Category 5 – from 100.000 to 249.999 inhabitants
• Category 6 – from 250.000 to 999.999 inhabitants
• Category 7 – over 1.000.000 to inhabitants

This criterion follows the official number of inhabitants of each city, according to local census.

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