Gisele Bundchen Urges Reflection With Viral ’10-Year Challenge’

The latest social media craze is the “10-year challenge,” in which users across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram share two side-by-side photos of themselves, one from 10 years ago and one from the recent weeks. Many celebrities have gotten in on the viral sensation, including supermodel Gisele Bundchen, though her take on the challenge urged something more than an analysis of the difference in appearance 10 years makes.

The Brazilian model took to her Instagram account on Friday, January 18, to participate in the trend, but instead of sharing two photos of herself, shared two photos of an important project from her hometown she has been a part of over the last decade. The pictures were accompanied by an important message to her 15 million followers, urging them to use the challenge to contemplate their lives as a whole.

“#10yearchallenge is a great opportunity to reflect,” Gisele wrote to her followers. “Have you ever stopped to think where you were 10 years ago? What were the dreams you had for yourself and for the world? What are you most proud of today?”

Gisele answered her own questions by explaining that her two biggest accomplishments of the last decade were creating her family and the completion of the Agua Limpa Project in her home of Brazil.

The model excitedly revealed that over the last 10 years, more than 40,000 trees were planted along the river banks, a change reflected in the two side-by-side photos shared in the post.

The work of the Agua Limpa Project has not only helped improve water quality but has brought wildlife back to the area as well, Gisele explained.

“It’s incredible to see when we give Nature a helping hand, she does the rest and thrives,” the supermodel wrote. “The more we take care of Nature the better she can take care of us. We are all connected.”

Gisele’s fans certainly loved her message regarding the viral challenge, which was also translated into Portuguese for followers from her home country. In just an hour after going live, the post had accrued more than 150,000 likes. Thousands of compliments flooded the comment section as well, congratulating her success and thanking her for the inspirational post.

“THIS is the type of 10 year challenge I want to see!” one Instagram user said of Gisele’s response to the social media game.

Gisele’s work for the environment as certainly not gone unnoticed, as People reported early this week that she and Barbra Streisand will both be honored next month at the UCLA Institute of the Environment & Sustainability’s annual Hollywood for Science Gala.