I initially heard about Girls On the Run from one of our Athleta customers. Curious to check it out, my first experience was  as a running buddy at a finale 5K, assigned to one of the girls to help her run the race. This is the perfect first point of entry for anyone who wants to get involved. Like me, you’ll be hooked. It was inspiring to experience the sense of accomplishment the girls all felt at the end of the 5K. The smiles said it all. As my daughter Emma said upon completing the program: “I learned it is not always about being the best, but about your personal best.”

I’ve been involved in our local Girls on the Run (GOTRSonomaCounty.org) as a mom, coach, board member, and fundraiser since that day two years ago. Please watch the video below to see my most recent running buddy experience with the Boys and Girls Club of Sonoma Valley. I hope this inspires you to get involved by contacting your local chapter through the website GirlsOnTheRun.org. Please share your experiences with us!

Kelly Cooper
VP Merchandising, Design & Product Development

Girls on the Run & Team Athleta

Some sad facts about girls today:

• Three million young Americans seriously considered suicide in 2000 and of those, over 1 million tried to kill themselves.
• Girls were twice as likely as boys to report contemplating suicide.
• Body dissatisfaction and dietary restraints are predictors of depression in girls.
• Almost two-thirds of girls in 5th-12th grades are dissatisfied with their body shape and want to lose weight.
• Girls as young as 5 form negative self-images based on their weight.

If you want to help change that, here’s some good news:

• Girls who participate in physical activities are 40% less likely to smoke, have higher levels of self-esteem, better body images, and lower levels of depression.
• Girls who have experienced emotional trauma respond positively to physical fitness programs.
• Girls who participate in physical activities are less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior during adolescence.
• Girls who participate in physical exercise have better relationships with parents, get better grades, are less likely to use drugs and are less depressed than girls who don’t.

And the best news, if she’s involved with Girls on the Run:

• She has higher self-esteem;**
• She has improved eating attitudes;**
• She has an improved body image;** and
• She has a positive peer group and positive role models for her future.

**According to research conducted by Dr. Rita DeBate, Ph.D., MPH, CHES, assistant professor in the department of Health Behavior at UNC-Charlotte, the Girls on the Run Curricula improve girls self-esteem, body image and eating attitudes to a “statistically significant” extent.

For more information, visit
GirlsOnTheRun.org or GOTRSonomaCounty.org.

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