Given today’s relentless social media, risqué television shows, admired young actresses and songwriters, easy text messaging, precarious “apps,” extreme photoshopping, posh designer clothes, and sultry hair and makeup, let’s just say that being a girl in today’s culture has to be complicated! That’s precisely why Sweeney Julian was a proud Site Sponsor for Swanson Primary Center’s 2013 Girls on the Run (GOTR) team. The team of tweens participated with other area GOTR teams in a noncompetitive 5K run/walk at John Adams High School on May 18, 2013. To set the mood and boost morale along the track, it was infused with bubbly music and lined with funky hair, face painting, and photo spirit stations. The lively event was an end-of-the-year celebration for many female youths after they embarked on a physical and emotional ten week, bi-weekly journey and transformation.
GOTR’s mission is “to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experienced-based curriculum which creatively integrates running” that will last a lifetime. Crucial life lessons such as making friends, being positive, thinking forward, working hard, self-motivation, accepting responsibility, embracing individual differences and strengths, finding and believing in oneself, setting and accomplishing goals, and dealing with bullying, peer pressure, and gossip, are just a few topics that GOTR intertwines with fun, exhilarating running games, exercises, and healthy lifestyle habits.
GOTR teaches our country’s up-and-coming generation of young ladies that life is very similar to running. As any runner knows, running takes time, devotion, hard work, goal setting, and tons of positive thinking. The sport is limitless, as one day you will find yourself effortlessly cruising past the finish line of a 5K, eagerly preparing to train for what seems to be an unattainable 10K – but just think, a couple months ago you could barely jog a mile, let alone run over three miles. In life, you will encounter tons of obstacles that seem impossible, too, but with the right mindset, set of skills, and health, you will accomplish your life goals and keenly strive toward your next dream. Life has limitless possibilities.
What a creative, healthy way to empower and fuel our community’s future generation of confident female leaders! Who knows, maybe one day one of these girls will start her career as an Attorney at Sweeney Julian!
