I grew up in Charlotte, NC during the 60’s, a time when “good” southern girls were conditioned to play it small…overgive, dumb ourselves down, and by all means, never disrupt the status quo.
When I was 14, my mom at age 50, (the year was 1974) started running. A radical act for a woman of her generation, she would head outside most mornings around 5:00 am, hit the pavement and run. One morning she asked if I would like to go with her.
I said yes.
And that yes turned into a daily routine, the two of us running together before sunrise. She, discarding the generational stereotypes for a woman of her age, and me, doing the same although I couldn’t have articulated it then. I just knew that when I ran with her, I felt whole, beautiful, and powerful.
Not too soon after those daily runs began, I took my first drink at a friend’s house…tenth grade…that critical time when societal expectations to fit in, start taking hold.
I kept running. And I kept drinking. I managed, despite the escalating alcoholism, to compete at an elite level in the sport of triathlon (qualified for and competed in four Hawaii Ironman Triathlons),
Eventually at age 32, I hit bottom. The next day, July 7th, 1993, I set off on a run. A thunderstorm on the horizon, the wind and the lightning all around…I had an epiphany…realized for the first time that I had allowed outside forces to limit me…to limit the essence of who I am.
I knew, from that point onward, that I could no longer allow these societal beliefs and limitations to define me. I started going to 12-step meetings, healing, and surrounding myself with people who lift each other up.
About two years into recovery, I got to wondering if there might be a way to positively influence young girls with programming, that combined running with experiential life lessons…lessons that would build resilience…so when those negative societal influences hit, they would have healthy coping mechanisms.
I did research, drew upon some theories I had studied while getting my Masters in Social Work, and wrote the first Girls on the Run curriculum. I approached the school where I had both attended and taught, and queried them about delivering the program. The after school coordinator replied with a resounding “Yes!”
Since then GOTR has grown to serve kids from across the country, thanks to tens of thousands of people, including a spectacular group of people who now lead the national office.
I still love visiting our Girls on the Run Chapters. This primarily looks like attendance at the Girls on the Run 5k’s or speaking at various Girls on the Run fundraising and informational events. If you’d like me to attend your event, email me at molly@mollybarkerspeaks.com.
Molly Barker Speaks 