The campaign that changed everything
I want to talk to you about one of the most challenging, heartbreaking, beautiful and inspiring campaigns we’ve ever worked on.
A lot of you may already know Leah Jay.
She’s an Australian model, business owner, mum and content creator, and she’s also the star of our new sports campaign.
We’d been following Leah’s journey through an incredibly difficult pregnancy, involving serious medical complications and multiple surgeries, including open heart surgery while pregnant. A journey that ended in heartbreaking news.
I won’t share the details here. That’s Leah’s story to tell.
But after everything Leah had been through, months later she shared something online that really stayed with us.
She said she just wanted to feel normal again.
To do the things she loved.
To start finding her way back to herself.
And so, we had an idea…
A campaign about strength
We reached out and asked if she would consider being the face of our new sports campaign: a campaign about strength, resilience and the many forms those qualities can take in a woman’s life.
There was no expectation. No pressure.
We simply wanted to create a space where she could show up, be herself, have fun and do something that felt like her again.
She later told us that when her flights were booked, she did a little happy dance in her kitchen.
And honestly, hearing that meant everything to us.
Before we knew it, Leah was on a plane from Austin, and we were on set.
Somewhere along the way, this stopped feeling like a campaign about sports bras.
It became about Leah.
It was about giving her a moment to feel beautiful.
To feel powerful.
To laugh and have fun.
And to feel completely safe to not feel okay.
Because women deserve to be seen in every chapter of their lives.
In the beautiful chapters.
In the difficult ones.
And in those moments when they’re simply trying to find their way forward.
This campaign means more to us than we can really put into words.
Not because of the product.
But because of the woman wearing it.
Leah, thank you for trusting us.
For showing up.
And for allowing us to create something so special with you.
We couldn’t be prouder to stand beside you, celebrate you and champion you.
This one’s for you.
In conversation with Leah Jay
Chloe: Who is Leah today?
Leah: This year changed me so much, physically and mentally. Leah today is resilient, appreciative and optimistic. I don’t take much for granted anymore. I try to stay calm, understand that some things are completely out of my control, and just go with the flow a little more.
Chloe: What does a normal day look like for you?
Leah: I exercise every day. It helps me mentally, but it’s also a huge part of rebuilding my body back to a normal baseline. Outside of that, I’m just focused on soaking up as much time as I can with my husband and son and enjoying the people around me.
Chloe: What brought you here, shooting with Nala for our sports bra campaign?
Leah: I’ve known the brand for a long time, and getting the opportunity to work with people I’ve known for 15+ years feels really special. I also really resonate with Nala’s ethos and the way the brand supports authenticity.
Chloe: How did you feel when we approached you?
Leah: Overwhelmed, but in a good way. It feels pretty surreal that Nala wants to support me, believes in me and wants to incorporate me into the brand’s story. It means a lot.
Chloe: How do you connect with the Nala brand?
Leah: Nala celebrates all different types of women. Different bodies, different stages of life, different stories. There’s something really freeing about not feeling like you have to hide the parts of yourself that aren’t perfect.
Chloe: You recently shared you want to feel normal again. What does normal look like for you now?
Leah: My new normal is adapting to life in my new body. I still have frequent pain where my scars are. I have good days and bad days, but slowly the bad days are becoming more like bad moments. I don’t think I’ll ever have my previous normal again. I’m still figuring out what this version looks like.
Chloe: Has your relationship with your body changed over the years?
Leah: My body is something I completely trust now. It was trying to tell me for months that something was wrong. It was communicating with me.
Going from being incredibly sick and bedridden in hospital to surviving multiple surgeries while also growing a baby, showed me how strong and powerful my body actually is.
I treat it with so much respect now. I listen to it. I look after it. I give it what it needs.
Chloe: We think you radiate beauty, power and strength, and are a symbol of hope and resilience. How does that make you feel?
Leah: Grateful. I really appreciate that you see that in me. My confidence has been stripped back a lot this year, so having this support and the opportunity to feel important and be part of something again means a lot.
Chloe: Can you tell us about the scar on your chest, and what that part of your journey has meant to you? Has it changed you?
Leah: My scar is from open-heart surgery. Sometimes it really bothers me and I’m still learning to accept it. But I’m alive, and that scar represents how lucky I am to be here.
Chloe: What does support mean to you?
Leah: People showing up. Not necessarily knowing what to say or trying to fix anything, just being there. This year taught me very quickly who will sit beside you when life gets really uncomfortable.
Chloe: How have the women around you lifted you up?
Leah: In so many different ways. Friends checking in, bringing food, helping with my family. Sometimes women just understand what you need without you having to explain it.
Chloe: Today is about the strength of women. What does that mean to you? Has your perception of true strength changed?
Leah: Completely. I used to associate strength with being independent and having everything together. Now I think strength can also be admitting you’re struggling, asking for help, letting people care for you and getting back up when life looks nothing like you planned. There’s a lot of strength in vulnerability.
Chloe: How would you define resilience?
Leah: Putting one foot in front of the other every day. Just take a few steps each day and, over time, you realise you’ve walked a marathon.
Chloe: What’s your “why”?
Leah: My family. My son. And myself too. I want a big, full life after all of this. I didn’t fight this hard just to exist. I want to actually live.
Chloe: How did you want to be portrayed today?
Leah: As I am now. Realistically and authentically. I showed up today to prove to myself that I’m still capable of doing something I used to be able to do.
Chloe: What do you want this campaign to say?
Leah: Your body is a powerful tool. Bodies change. They carry babies, have surgeries, get scars, age and heal. None of that makes them less worthy of being seen.
Chloe: How do you want women to feel about themselves?
Leah: Less critical. And proud of themselves.
Chloe: As women, as mothers, as business owners, we go through so much. What would you say to someone who might be struggling right now?
Leah: You don’t have to do it all. Ask for help when you need it. Find support. Sometimes just getting through the day is enough.
Chloe: One day your son might see this campaign. What do you hope he sees?
Leah: I hope he sees his mum living her life again. I hope he sees how lucky we are that we get to experience life together. And hopefully he’s proud of me.
Explore Club Nala
Discover Nala’s sports bra collection, created to support different bodies and different ways of moving.
