"What is your goal today," I asked Elizabeth as she prepared to run the end-of-season 5K.
"To finish the race," she replied.
Elizabeth was a fifth-grader when this conversation occurred in 2016. Larger than most girls her age, Elizabeth had been bullied for her size. Her teacher encouraged her to join the Girls on the Run (GOTR) team at her school because she knew it might help Elizabeth become more comfortable in her own skin.
When Elizabeth began the 10-week program, she was shy and afraid to speak up during group discussions. She also was reluctant to practice toward running a 5K.
As the weeks progressed, the lessons offered through the empowerment program began to positively impact Elizabeth. Soon, she was answering questions and running with greater confidence.
When girls participate in GOTR, they engage in activities that build self-confidence, personal courage and a sense of connection, and teach them how to care about themselves and others. They also learn how to set and achieve a goal by training to run a non-competitive 5K.
It was at the end-of-season 5K when I asked Elizabeth about her goal. She finished the race that day, but she didn't cross the finish line alone. As the race was winding down, all the 150 girls running it had crossed the finish line except ONE -Elizabeth. Her teammates were concerned when they didn't see her and began looking out over the course for her.
Soon they saw Elizabeth working her way toward the finish line. When she was about an eighth-of-a-mile from the finish line Elizabeth's teammates began to cheer. Then, several ran out to her and encircled her. Elizabeth's face lit up.
She finished the race that day, but not by herself. She finished with her teammates by her side.
Elizabeth's story illustrates the amazing impact the Girls on the Run program has on young girls. It teaches girls to believe in themselves and each other.
The Heart of Missouri Girls on the Run council has been offering GOTR for nine years in Mid-Missouri. Program sites are at schools in Ashland, Boonville, Columbia, Jefferson City and other communities. To learn more about the program, visit heartofmissourigirlsontherun.org.
Cheryl Unterschutz, M.Ed, is the director of Heart of Missouri Girls on the Run and has personally seen the positive impact of the program for the six years that she has been directing the organization.