More than 1,000 girls on the run
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Brittney DeKalb (left) crosses the finish line with her coach, Mandy Mayer, running at her side. About 1,500 participants began the Girls on The Run 5K on the University of Vermont campus Sunday. SARAH HINCKLEY / RUTLAND HERALD |
Toolbox
By SARAH HINCKLEY Herald Staff - Published: June 12, 2007
Brittney DeKalb, 11, crossed the finish line over an hour after approximately 1,500 runners began the Girls on The Run 5K on the University of Vermont campus Sunday.
It was her first 5K run and she doesn't give up easily. DeKalb was born with an enlarged heart. In her short life, DeKalb has had three heart attacks, died and come back each time, according to her mother, Claudia, who also participated in the 5K.
Because of her medical issues DeKalb has had to take steroids, which make maintaining her weight difficult.
"She's worked so hard," said Mandy Mayer, one of the coaches of the Mettawee Community School Girls on the Run team. "She said to me during the run, 'I want to do this next year.' She is my motivation for doing Girls on the Run."
Girls on the Run is a program and organization founded by Molly Barker for girls ages 8 to 11 years old. Its goal is to reach girls at an age where they begin to think more about their appearance and build their self-esteem through exercise.
There are 75 schools or communities in Vermont with a program in place, reaching about 1,500 girls. It lasts approximately two months annually and while the girls train they also do exercises in self-esteem building. There is also a branch of the organization called Girls on Track for teens.
On Sunday, Mayer ran beside DeKalb the whole race. She and DeKalb started training in February, about a month before the other team members got started. Their goal was to participate in the 5K. Throughout the 3.1 miles of the run DeKalb walked and ran; when DeKalb crossed the finish line she was running, and after it was over she was still smiling.
DeKalb said it's fun and she thinks all girls should do it.
Barker was at the Burlington event that included teams from 50 Vermont schools. Anyone could participate in the 5K but no one runner shone brighter than another. Every bib had the number 1 on it.
"Repeat after me, I am strong. I am beautiful. I am me," Barker said to motivate the crowd of coaches, parents and girls before the run began.
It was the last 5K event of the spring season for Barker; Monday she began training coordinators from 26 new cities back home in Charlotte, N.C. The program she began 11 years ago has taken off on its own journey.
"As we get bigger I'm finding it takes more brain energy to keep the vision intact," said Barker, who calls herself the founder and vision keeper of the organization. "It's not just a running program. We're fighting anything. There's no attachment to what we're fighting for, we're fighting for hope. I think I've finally got it."
An Ironman athlete, Barker said growing up in the South prompted her to start the organization. It is still very important there to maintain appearance, she said with her son, Hank, standing next to her. Girls on the Run calls the place where girls go and fixate on the idea that what they look like makes them who they are "The Girl Box."
"I went in there in a way and struggled in there for a long time — until I was about 31," Barker said. "If you've tasted life outside 'the box' your return there will be at a more rapid rate."
This is her hope for the young girls who participate by introducing them to their inner and outer strengths.
"My favorite part was running to the finish line and everyone cheering for me," said Alanna Martin, 10, a member of the Mettawee team. "It made me feel really good."
It is the third year there has been a Girls on the Run team at the school, coached by teacher Sue Ceglowski. Mayer also coaches the 19 girls. There is also a Girls on Track team at the school with five girls and two coaches.
A team from Manchester brought more than 50 girls to run Sunday, according to Vermont Executive Director Nancy Heydinger.
"That's a great section of the state for us," she said.
It was the third run for Andrea Kibling, 11. She is part of the Mettawee team and she has learned a lot in the three years of the program.
"I learned self confidence and how to stand up for myself," Kibling said.
"Girls on the Run is not just about running, it's also about finding yourself and discovering who you are," her teammate Martin said.
Contact Sarah Hinckley at sarah.hinckley@rutlandherald.com.
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