On March 8, Aveeno partnered with trailblazing women’s sports media company TOGETHXR to celebrate International Women’s Day with the highly anticipated launch of The Strength Issue, a platform designed to give female athletes the space to own their narratives and redefine how strength is seen, discussed, and celebrated. United by the belief that women’s strength is complex and multidimensional, Aveeno and TOGETHXR created the initiative to spotlight the resilience, vulnerability, and power that shape women in sports and beyond.
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Among the standout voices featured at Sunday’s event, held at Lavan Midtown in New York City, were Misty Copeland, the first Black principal dancer in the history of American Ballet Theatre, and Ali Truwit, a shark attack survivor, world-class swimmer, and two-time Paralympic silver medalist. Both women, who are featured in The Strength Issue, shared deeply personal stories about perseverance, identity, and redefining strength on their own terms.
Misty Copeland is dedicated to preserving the legacy of ballet.
The celebration also included a powerful panel discussion hosted by award-winning journalist MJ Acosta-Ruiz, who is also a featured writer in the long-awaited issue, alongside Kirsten Hurley (Aveeno’s Head of Commercial) and Kati Fernandez (Chief Content Officer at TOGETHXR). During the conversation, Copeland, who retired from ballet in 2025, reflected on her decades-long effort to reshape perceptions of power within the traditionally rigid world of ballet. Now stepping into the next chapter of her career, she explained that preserving ballet’s legacy remains a central part of her mission.
That mission recently intersected with a viral cultural moment. Copeland was asked about comments made by actor Timothée Chalamet during a February town hall hosted by Variety and CNN. While speaking with Matthew McConaughey about preserving the theatrical movie experience, Chalamet remarked that he believes “no one cares” about ballet or opera anymore.
The moment ultimately led to an unexpected collaboration, with Chalamet inviting Copeland to help promote his film Marty Supreme — something she noted worked in her favor by bringing renewed attention to ballet.
“I think that it’s important that we acknowledge this is an art form that is not popular and a part of pop culture as movies are. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have enduring relevance in culture,” Copeland said proudly. “I think that it’s often mistaken when something is popular that it’s more meaningful or more impactful. And there’s a reason that the opera and ballet have been around for over 400 years, and I think that when you have access and opportunity to be a part of something, it can change your life.”
Copeland has dedicated much of her career to expanding access to ballet, a mission she continues through the Misty Copeland Foundation, which she founded in 2021. The organization works to make ballet more affordable, accessible, and inclusive while introducing children in under-resourced communities to the art form. By prioritizing diversity, equity, and opportunity, the foundation aims to broaden ballet’s reach and ensure the next generation of dancers reflects the communities around them.
“It’s the work I’ve done my whole career, is to bring more people into it, so that people do understand the importance and the relevance of it in our communities and our culture, and you see it reflected everywhere,” Copeland continued. “I mean, he wouldn’t be an actor and have the opportunity to be seen as a movie star if it weren’t for opera and ballet and the relevance in that medium. All of these mediums have a space, and we shouldn’t be comparing them.”
Through The Strength Issue, Aveeno and TOGETHXR are not only spotlighting elite athletes, they are expanding the definition of strength itself. From Copeland’s advocacy for the power of ballet to the resilience demonstrated by athletes like Ali Truwit, the collaboration highlights the many ways women show up with courage, determination, and grace. As these stories take center stage, the initiative celebrates strength in all its forms, along with the recovery, care, and restorative routines that sustain it, reminding audiences that true power is not one-dimensional, but deeply human.
During the event, attendees were invited to write down what they believed their personal strength was and mingle with other powerful women in the room, helping build support and community, a beautiful ending to an empowering event. Take a look at a few more photos from The Strength Issue launch below.
