This spring in its second season at St. Vincent de Paul School, the number of girls participating in the Girls on the Run program more than doubled from 20 to 42 third-, fourth- and fifth-graders.
Girls on the Run is a national nonprofit organization that inspires girls 8-13 to be “joyful, healthy and confident” using as experience-based curriculum integrated with running. The 24-lesson season, that began in March, culminated with participants completing a 5-kilometer run, the Girls on the Run of the Rockies, May 11 at City Park.
“This celebratory, non-competitive event gave the girls a tangible understanding of the confidence that comes through accomplishment, as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals,” according to a statement provided by the school. “Crossing the finish line is a defining moment when the girls realize that even the seemingly impossible is possible.”
This year’s program was coached by Emily Dugan, physical education teacher, and school moms Susan Viereck, Monica Zienkewicz, Kristi Kloenne, and Brooke Pengel. The school plans to offer the program again next year. The Girls on the Run program is in place in more than 200 cities in the United States, with some 130,000 participants.
