Learn all about the empowering event and how to practice body positivity.

Introducing, The BodCon TALKS: Beach Bodies. This incredible one-day Virtual Pool Party and Panel Discussion is one that you don’t want to miss, as it challenges the “bikini body” rhetoric, while promoting body confidence, during the midst of the pandemic. The event will take place on Sunday, June 27, 2021, at 2 PM ET, and participants will have the opportunity to hear inspiring and empowering messages pertaining to body positivity from leading creators in the body confidence space.

Today, HOLR is sitting down to chat with TikTok star and body confidence advocate, Alicia McCarvell, who is this year’s keynote interview at the event. She hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and uses her platform and humour to address conversations surrounding body image and self-love while hoping to relate, inspire, and break down barriers. Check out our conversation with Alicia down below, as we cover everything from event details to feeling confident in your body this summer.

Talk to us about this year’s BodCon Event and what it represents.

This BodCon Talks: Beach Bodies event represents a conversation about our bodies, separating our worth from our size, and understanding we are worthy of happiness, confidence, and life not centered around our body. 

It’s a conversation. I wish someone would have had with me when I was 15.

This year’s theme is centered around beach bodies and challenging the beach body rhetoric during the pandemic. How has the pandemic impacted our mindset regarding body image?

More people than ever are experiencing body changes right now, some are familiar with this feeling, others are experiencing these changes for the first time. 

I think everyone’s mindset regarding body image is different based on their personal experiences. However – the diet culture vultures are out in full force and we must have this conversation now so that people are making decisions for their bodies out of love as things head back to “normal”.

I know that coming out of this pandemic is going to be scary and intimidating for a lot of people, and everyone needs to know they are not alone. 

We love how you advocate for self-love and are such an influential body-positive activist. How can we feel more empowered to embrace our bodies, especially during the summer months?

BUY THE BATHING SUIT – I held myself back from 12 years of beach days because I had created this horrific scenario in my head, when really … the only person who cared was me. 

TRY NEW THINGS – Do some things this summer you have told yourself you couldn’t/wouldn’t do because of your body. It is extremely empowering to overcome your own hurdles.

MOVE YOUR BODY FOR FUN – Find movement that brings you joy, and only do that. Your body is capable of so many things, stop punishing it, and start allowing it to show you what it’s made of!

Can you tell us a bit about the other panelists from this year’s BodCon?

 Oh my gosh.

 Zack Miko is an actor, comedian, and model. He was Target’s first plus-size male clothing model and has his own lifestyle and swimwear brand for big and tall men! He is so funny, and will be bringing such an amazing male perspective on beach bodies – I cannot wait to learn from him.

Gabriella Halikas’s existence makes me a more confident plus-size woman. I am obsessed with her confidence, well… honestly I’m just obsessed with her. I cannot wait to hear about her journey with her own body, and getting to shoot with SI SWIM!

Sydney Bell is a force. She is a Curve model passionate about self-love, and dance. I watch her videos every day because her main character energy is contagious. She has been a leading force in calling out platforms for censorship, and I’m so excited for everyone to get to hear her journey. 

The pandemic has heavily exacerbated stigma around weight gain as the weight-loss industry capitalizes on post-lockdown bodies. What can we take away from BodCon in terms of feeling confident in our own bodies?

What I hope everyone realizes after attending BodCon Beach Bodies is that you are not alone in this journey and you don’t need to “be” or “change” or “lose” anything in order to be deserving of your life experiences.

Your body shows up for you every day, and it’s important that we learn how to show up for it out of kindness and love – and my goal is to give you some of the tools so you can do that without missing out on your life at the same time. 

For more information on The BodCon TALKS: Beach Bodies check out thebodcon.com. Tickets are on sale for $20 and the event is from 2 PM – 4:30 PM ET.