For many, running is a hobby that relieves stress and promotes exercise. But for Columbia’s Girls on the Run, it’s inspiration.
“Our mission is to ‘inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running,’” said Dawn Brown, council director.
The organization was brought to Columbia in 2010, and provides after school programs for girls in grades 3-8. These programs not only focus on running, but also teach life skills and address pertinent issues for young girls.
“The lessons address issues such as bullying, how to handle peer pressure and gossip, how to make healthy choices (including choosing friends), the importance of gratitude and giving back to one’s community and how to set goals and work to meet them in a systematic way,” Brown said.
The goal for these activities is not only to establish an appreciation for health and fitness, but also long-standing confidence and a sense of accomplishment. Today, Columbia Girls on the Run hosts 10 teams and serves nearly 125 girls.
The organization conducts fall and spring sessions each school year. After participants complete the 10-week program, its main event takes place.
“Each season ends with a celebratory 5k event at which our girls complete their 5k, some of them for the first time,” Brown said.
But Girls on the Run finds its biggest accomplishment in the girls whose lives are positively impacted by the program. Brown said that one third grade participant revealed that other people labeled her “fat” and “not that smart.” But the program allowed her to channel her inner confidence.
“It is the numerous stories like these that highlight the power of GOTR and build our determination to continue building the program in our region,” Brown said.
With countless pressures facing young girls today, Brown said Girls on the Run provides them with a “supportive environment that celebrates who they are, as they are.”
Her Campus Mizzou will be donating one hundred percent of its proceeds from the Flawless Fashion Show to Girls on the Run. The show will take place May 1 at Roxy’s downtown. Buy tickets here.
Photos courtesy of Dawn Brown.