On May 29, 2024, the 30th edition of the Challenge Day will take place, a global initiative 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, focusing on promoting regular sports practice.
This year, based on the Healthy Cities movement created by the World Health Organization (WHO), the campaign aims to expand discussions on the concepts of recreational physical activity, utilitarian physical activity, and transportation modes that today speak volumes about the healthiness and functionality of a city.
In this way, the units of Sesc São Paulo and partner organizations from the public, private, and third sectors in 14 Latin American countries are reaching another Challenge Day: ready to encourage the practice of physical and sports activities during leisure time, as well as to promote the creation of a more active community through programs focused on walking, running, and cycling.
Come join us and jump into the challenge!
29 • 2024
We commit to leading the Day of Challenge in the American Continent, driving a global initiative of TAFISA, with the support of ISCA and UNESCO. This year, we celebrate the 30th edition of the campaign involving more than 3,500 organizations in 14 countries. With the theme “Jump into the Challenge!”, we highlight the importance of recreational and utilitarian physical activity for health by promoting the development of actions that value diverse forms of mobility in territories, sensitizing managers to make their cities more accessible and conducive to the practice of physical activities, contributing to the general well-being of the community. We invite all Sesc units and partners from the public, private, and third sectors to join us in this collective effort. Together, we will strengthen the movement towards healthier and more inclusive cities, reflecting our commitment to the well-being and quality of life for all.
Luiz Galina Regional Director - Sesc São Paulo
The success of the Day of Challenge, in its purpose of promoting physical activity and sports practice among people, depends directly on the broad and coordinated involvement of organizations that play complementary roles in promoting an active lifestyle. Alongside the Sesc units, the network of representatives from the three sectors of society – the public administration, private companies, and non-profit institutions – plays a part in this shared effort. Sharing with these partners the concepts and guiding principles of this year’s campaign helps to support managers and leaders in carrying out local initiatives, crucial for encouraging citizens to adopt healthy habits worthy of communities that increasingly jump into the challenge on a daily basis.
Carolina Seixas Manager of Sports - Sesc São Paulo | Coordinator of Challenge Day in the American Continent
The starting point
The winter of 1983 in Saskatoon, Canada, was especially cold. Thinking about the residents’ wellbeing, the mayor Clifford Wright suggested that they left their houses and went for a walk around the block. The idea was to get people active and warm while in movement. In the following year, Clifford invited the neighbor city and both made the walking at the same time. The essence of Challenge Day was created!
In 1990, TAFISA – The Association For International Sport for All– started promoting the event worldwide and gained more connections. In 1995, Sesc São Paulo begun to coordinate the activities in Brazil and a few years later in Latin America. Nowadays, Sesc São Paulo coordinates the event in the entire American Continent.
Mayor Clifford and the Saskatoon citizens could never, ever, imagine that 20 years later, Challenge Day would mobilize over 43 million people, in 3.469 cities all over Americas (data 2017)
Are you ready?
Sesc São Paulo holds the event for the first time in Brazil in partnership with The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA). Pelé (at that time the Minister of Sport) attended the launching ceremony and the cities match-up, stating that the idea was “to incentive all Brazilians to practice sports.”
In a single phrase, the mayor of São José dos Campos – SP – Brazil expressed the essence of the event: “It is a great fun. It makes people remember that life is more than just working.”
SESC SP holds the coordination of Challenge Day in Latin America.
The campaign receives the institutional support of UNESCO (United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization) and ISCA (International Sport and Culture Association).
SESC SP is in charge of the coordination of Challenge Day in the American Continent.
In Brazil, the National Congress receives the proposal of the law project 1300 requesting the creation of the National Challenge Day, to incentive the daily practice of physical activity and sport.
In 2011, Challenge Day reached the record of participants in all editions – 4,023 communities – and 63.611.208 persons – in the American Continent.
On April 5, Law No. 13.645/18 was enacted, establishing the National Challenge Day.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Challenge Day took place entirely online. Additionally, the end of competition between cities was defined.
Goals for the triennium were defined: re-signify spaces for sports practice, train agents involved in the process, promote contact between partner institutions, establish an impact evaluation process for the project, commit partners to campaign objectives, and give visibility to projects demonstrating conceptual alignment with the campaign.
