Girls On The Run
While on a run, fitness enthusiast Molly Barker thought about the many years she questioned her self-worth and self-image. Armed with a master’s degree in social work, Molly felt compelled to combine her counseling expertise with her personal love for wellness and, in 1996, founded Girls On The Run (GOTR). The innovative 501c3 youth development program launched in North Carolina with a focus to enhance the physical and mental health of 8 to 12-year-old girls through confidence building lessons paired with a fun 5k training component. The self-awareness/self-achievement concept quickly grew to nearly 200 ‘councils’ across North America, including 20 sites in Greater Orlando, collectively empowering over 60,000 girls annually.
“Girls On The Run inspires adolescents to be joyful, healthy, and confident by implementing an experience-based curriculum that creatively incorporates running,” says Lori Schaper, Orlando GOTR Council Director. “Through interactive activities, games, and discussions on important issues, participants learn how to celebrate their unique and real selves.” GOTR utilizes a whole-person approach to elevate emotional, social, mental, and physical health and is divided into three parts:
- The first eight lessons center on each girl getting to know herself ─ examining personal values, likes/dislikes, and envisioning who she wants to be. Learning plans include “fueling a healthy pace,” “centering: the importance of slowing down,” and “celebrating gratitude.”
- The next eight lessons concentrate on team building, supportive behaviors, and listening. Topics include “standing up to peer pressure,” “gossiping hurts everyone,” and “it’s okay to choose my friends.”
- The last eight lessons relate to the world at large including community impact and learning to recognize and process negative messages that may be encountered through media, peer pressure, etc. The twenty-four sessions conclude with the opportunity to participate in a 5k (3.1 mile) race.
Each session is led by trained female coaches who voluntarily guide and mentor the girls through the fun and uplifting curriculum. Rhonda Boston, a teacher and novice runner, jumped at the chance to start the GOTR program at Leesburg Elementary and recruited twenty 3rd to 5th grade girls, including her 9-year-old daughter Mekenzie. “Mekenzie battled with low self-esteem ─ the result of classmates teasing her about her academic struggles. GOTR allowed me to coach her, and all twenty, on the importance of storing positive energy within and releasing the negative energy; sort of like an electricity lesson.” Coach Rhonda says that while discussions included sensitive themes, such as body image, fun elements ─ like the ‘run with a buddy’ system ─ keep the girls joyfully engaged. “The girls shared new experiences and gained trustworthy friends and mentors. And of course, everyone loved our race uniform of pink tutus and bows,” said coach Rhonda, who adds that the program’s reach extended to family members. “After witnessing her daughter’s improvements in cardiovascular stamina and overall health, one of our mom’s embraced a commitment to exercise and weight management.”
Tracy Bieber, a flight attendant, is another mother who unexpectedly transformed her own health. After her 11-year-old daughter, Sidney, expressed an interest in running, Tracy took on the role of volunteer coach at Hunter’s Creek Elementary. She describes her coaching experience as a mutually rewarding endeavor. “What a pleasure to positively influence young girls, including my daughter, on a number of important matters like bullying, reflection, and gratitude.”
Katie Aguirre says her 8-year-old daughter Kailyn, a participant in the GOTR program at Hunter’s Creek Elementary, has an ‘attitude of gratitude’ toward coach Tracy. “GOTR has been the only extra-curricular activity that Kailyn looked forward to each week because coach Tracy was fun and supportive. She experienced a boost in confidence thanks to a lesson on how to channel emotions, rather than bottle-up her frustrations.” Katie says that prior to GOTR, Kailyn dreaded gym class and all sports activities because she feared the embarrassment of finishing last or failing. GOTR empowered Kailyn to commit to a goal, try her best, and deflect negative influences. On December 1st, Kailyn only heard the positive cheers of spectators and supporters when she crossed the finish line in her first 5k!
Lisa Portelli says she too witnessed the gratification of the 12 tween-aged participants she coached at the Eatonville Boys & Girls Club, the only local GOTR community center site. “We started conversations around challenging topics including the stresses of alcohol or drug exposure, relationships with boys, and many other self-esteem influencers. I think such lessons were especially helpful at this site because most of the girls live in a single parent and/or non-traditional family home,” said coach Lisa, who considers her health to be a gift and is compelled to inspire others. “It’s exciting to see a spark of passion within these young girls who now are embracing wellness, both physically and emotionally.”
Though Girls On The Run is not intended to develop elite runners, it has generated great interest in the sport, according to coach Lisa. “My 8th graders have expressed intentions to join the high school track team next year.” Coach Tracy says she also has fitness plans in motion for next year, “At 46-years-old, I never thought that I would be training for a half-marathon with my daughter! But we’ve set a goal to accomplish it together.” To learn how to start a Girls On The Run program site and/or become a volunteer coach, visit www.gotrorlando.org.