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Girls on the Run seeks volunteers to empower young women

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Girls on the Run is looking for volunteers to help young women build self confidence and stay motivated SUBMITTED

Girls on the Run is looking for volunteers to help young women build self confidence and stay motivated SUBMITTED

I run a major media company based in York, PA.  Before this I had a key role in a corporate office in Denver.  I’ve led the charge to create digital offerings at some of the largest publishing companies in the United States.

You can imagine that I have a fair share of confidence. And you’d be right. But I didn’t always have the confidence I have today.

In fact, when I was a girl, I had self-esteem issues that always seemed to tug at me as I worked to move forward.  I don’t know why that was the case even though I’ve thought about it a lot. I didn’t, for example, have a troubled background. I wasn’t bullied.

Girls on the Run participated in the Race Against Racism earlier this year.  SUBMITTED

Girls on the Run participated in the Race Against Racism earlier this year. SUBMITTED

Nonetheless, I struggled to find my own voice and stand up for myself. Professional successes came, but I still was challenged to claim them.

And then I started running.  I ran a little in college but really embraced running  when I started again in my 30s.  Since then I have run five marathons.

When I began each mile built to the next mile.  I got stronger physically. I got stronger mentally. I felt pride in what I was doing.

As I moved from 3 miles to 10 miles and then 26.2 miles I realized I had the power within me to try, to work through tough moments, to believe in my abilities, and to succeed.  I realized I could do anything I believed in and was willing to work hard for.

I wish I had learned those lessons earlier in my life.

Fortunately, there is a program aimed at making sure girls  in York County have that opportunity at a young age.  It is called Girls on the Run.

It allows girls from third to eighth grade to begin a lifetime of confidence and healthy living. It helps them feel their own power, even when it is sometime tinged with uncertainty, that comes from running.  With each mile runners feel the confidence, the pride, and the accomplishment of pushing forward.  Every once in a while the runners even feel a little invincible.

In 12-week programs that meet after school, girls work together on the day’s lesson. It might be about bullying or healthy eating, or maybe working together. And then they run. The running starts easy, building week by week until the end of the program. Then they run a 5k, which is 3.1 miles.

Girls on the Run helps teach fitness at a young age. SUBMITTED

Girls on the Run helps teach fitness at a young age. SUBMITTED

I had the great opportunity to volunteer at the 5k ending the Spring program in York County. It was held as part of the Race Against Racism in York. I wish everyone could have seen the faces of the girls as they crossed the finish line.

There was relief, joy, some tears, and a little pain.  But most of all, there was pride and a true sense of accomplishment.

I wish that for every girl. I know what the power of running did for me.  I know what it can do for every girl.

The program needs volunteers for the fall sessions which are held a schools all over York County through the York YWCA.

If you can help, please contact Dorothy English, 717-845-2631, ext. 133 or denglish@ywcayork.org. If you can’t volunteer, maybe you can sponsor a girl.  Please visit the web site: www.gotryork.org.

Your involvement will make a lifetime of difference for a local girl.


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