1,000 miles for confident girls

Girls on the Run inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident, helping them activate their limitless potentials and boldly pursue their dreams. 

In 2016, I'm committed to running 1,000 miles and raising $2,000 to support the organization. Help cheer me on and make each mile worth $2 to Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa, a local organization that helps girls build a joyful, healthy, confidant foundation for their lives.

It's a program I've already seen inspire my own 10-year-old daughter, Evelyn, and her friends and classmates to confidently live life on her own terms, and Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa serves more than 500 girls at more than 30 schools in Johnson, Linn, Washington, Iowa, Benton and Buchanan counties over two three-month seasons each year. 

The program is designed to allow every girl to recognize her inner strength, and the Girls on the Run curriculum inspires girls to define their lives on their own terms. Throughout the season, the girls make new friends, build their confidence and celebrate all that makes them unique.

The Girls on the Run lessons encourage positive emotional, social, mental and physical development. Participants explore and discuss their own beliefs around experiences and challenges girls face at this age. They also develop important strategies and skills to help them navigate life experiences. GOTR starts with helping the girls get a better understanding of who they are and what’s important to them.  Then, they look at the importance of team work and healthy relationships.  And, finally, the girls explore how they can positively connect with and shape the world.

Physical activity is woven into GOTR to inspire an appreciation of fitness and to build habits that lead to a lifetime of health.  At the end of each three-month session, the girls participate in a Girls on the Run 5K event.  This celebratory, non-competitive event is the culminating experience of the curriculum.  Completing the 5K gives the girls a tangible understanding of the confidence that comes through accomplishment as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals.