Misty Copeland And Sophia Wilson Redefine Strength in New Aveeno x TOGETHXR Campaign
Strength isn’t always loud. Sometimes it lives in recovery. In stillness. In the quiet, unglamorous work that happens long before the spotlight hits. For ballet dancer Misty Copeland and soccer […] The post Misty Copeland And Sophia Wilson Redefine Strength in New Aveeno x TOGETHXR Campaign appeared first on Essence.
Black News 
Photos courtesy of AVEENO x TOGETHXR 
By Larry Stansbury ·Updated March 5, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… Strength isn’t always loud. Sometimes it lives in recovery. In stillness. In the quiet, unglamorous work that happens long before the spotlight hits. For ballet dancer Misty Copeland and soccer player Sophia Wilson, strength is not a single moment—it’s a lifelong practice. One shaped by pressure, purpose, and profound self-knowledge. As part of The Strength Issue, a collaboration between Aveeno and TOGETHXR, the two athletes open up about what it means to show up fully in bodies that carry both expectation and history.
For Copeland, “strength is how I show up in every part of my life,” she tells ESSENCE. “As an athlete, a mother, a wife, a friend. I’ve been through so much, both physically and mentally, and strength continues to deepen over time.” Ballet’s physical rigor is undeniable, but Copeland admits the mental demands have been the greater challenge. In moments of intense scrutiny or injury, she’s learned to anchor herself in her purpose.
Navigating spaces where she was often “the first” reshaped her understanding of inner strength. What could feel isolating, instead, became a reminder of community. “That connection reminds me of the strength I already have,” she says. “I’m never doing it alone.” And while ballet is often associated with stoicism, Copeland believes vulnerability is where the artistry lives. “Strength and grace are not opposites,” she explains. “The discipline and resilience behind the scenes are what create that sense of ease people see onstage.”
Ritual plays a grounding role in her life—movement, stillness, and intentional skincare included. “My body is my first costume,” she says. “It’s my instrument for storytelling.” As her relationship with self-care has matured, listening has become central: gentle movement, presence with her son, and trusted products that support her skin when it’s sensitive. “Some of my strongest moments happen in recovery,” she adds, noting one of the reasons the partnership with Aveeno and TOGETHXR felt deeply aligned.
Screenshot For Wilson, returning to elite soccer as a new mother has reframed everything she thought she knew about power. “Motherhood has truly strengthened my sense of confidence,” she says. “I don’t let anything or anyone deter that.” While elite athletes are often expected to “bounce back,” Wilson defines strength on her own terms—embracing pressure as part of the pursuit while allowing confidence to take root through every season.
Grace has become nonnegotiable for Wilson. “Pregnancy shows you how incredible the female body is,” she reflects. “I love mine even more because I witnessed what it can create.” The process of returning to play takes time, and Wilson is embracing it fully, being proud of her body through every transition. Becoming a mother has also renewed her love for the sport. “It allowed me to step away and return with excitement,” she says. “I’m not balancing two separate identities. I’m embracing all of who I am.”
Screenshot Daily rituals help her feel centered. Caring for skin that stretches, scars, and reshapes is an act of respect, particularly when products are safe for both her and her daughter. And behind the highlight reels, strength looks quieter: a new baby, a comeback in progress, and the ongoing work of balance.
Together, Copeland and Wilson remind us that strength isn’t a finish line, it’s a continuum. It’s recovery and resilience, vulnerability and confidence, motherhood and mastery. And in making space for these fuller stories, The Strength Issue honors the parts of the journey we don’t always see—but feel all the same.
ScreenshotThe post Misty Copeland And Sophia Wilson Redefine Strength in New Aveeno x TOGETHXR Campaign appeared first on Essence.
