Photo contributed by Janice Addison The May 2008 Women's Heart & Sole Run. Girls on the Run had 109 girls participate. This fall, girls ages 8- 12 will learn about physical and mental health, improve their self- esteem, and embrace individuality all while training to run in a 5k in December. The program is called Girls on the Run and was founded by Molly Barker in the mid- 1990s as a way to give girls a chance to learn about self- respect and enjoy camaraderie with other girls who do not let peer or societal pressures dictate how they live their lives. Russ Pate and Janice Addison of the USC Department of Exercise Science brought Girls on the Run to Columbia in 2004.

Meetings and practices are held at separate sites so that each group of girls totals no more than 20. Individual attention and personal connections are maximized in this small group environment and allow girls to be able to meet closer to home. In 2007, there were eight sites across Columbia.

Barker, a four- time Hawaii Ironman triathlete, founded Girls on the Run as a way for young girls to avoid being captured in what she calls the Girl Box. This refers to the immense pressure put on girls to be pretty, popular, and fit in order to be worthy of notice or attention. This very real trap lures many girls away from habits of self- respect and distorts how they see themselves. Through lessons, exercises, and physical training, Girls on the Run helps give a different outlook on life and self.

The fall sessions here in Columbia will begin in mid- September and sign- ups take place later in August. Volunteers are welcome to nominate elementary schools for new sites. There are also opportunities for donations of funds or snacks to support scholarships. No girls are turned away because of financial reasons, so there is always a chance to help in less direct ways than running alongside in the 5k.

For more information about Girls on the Run and how you can get involved, visit the Columbia area website: http://www.gotrcolumbia. org/.