“I wonder what they’ll invent next?” 

This was a game one of my daughters and I used to play, usually while driving from one place to another in the car. She’d ask that question and I’d turn it back on her, “I don’t know, M, what do you think they should invent next?” My heart would just fill with love as she would pose a problem and put her mind into motion. 

Click click click

She’d throw ration and reason to the wind and then always come up an incredibly creative solution. One of her most memorable ideas was to build irregularly shaped tires that would easily fit into potholes and avoid the bump. Crazy idea? Maybe, but she was 6 and didn’t have the burden of an engineering degree to stunt her ability to brainstorm amazing ideas.   

I often get the same sense of awe when I see a GOTR girl in action. Whether it’s starting out on her first 5K and finishing (!), making and being good friends, or developing skills that build a confident and joyful approach to life, a GOTR girl crosses that finish line having discovered that she is truly limitless and filled with potential. That for her, nothing is impossible.  

Really, a GOTR experience is so much more than just a journey to the end of a 5K, it’s the beginning of a lifelong celebration of all that’s unique and wonderful about that girl. So, if you’re a coach, a parent, a volunteer, a sponsor, or connected to a Girls on the Run girl in any way, thank you. What you do is so important. 

“I wonder what a GOTR girl will do next?” I asked myself while visiting a team’s practice recently. The answer was clear. 

Anything. Anything she sets her mind to.