In the spring of 2011, Kent County Girls on the Run will begin its eigth year as a Girls on the Run Council. What started with a little over 100 girls in 2003 has blossomed into a vital program, welcoming over 1100 girls in 2010.

The idea for Girls on the run started with Molly Barker in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1996. A 4-time Hawaii Ironman triathlete, Molly holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A former high school teacher and track coach, Molly has also worked as a counselor addressing the needs of women with eating disorders, alcohol and substance additions and depression.

The Girls on the Run curricula, the heart of the program, provides pre-adolescent girls with the necessary tools to embrace their individual strengths as they enter middle and high school. Written by Molly and Dori Luke, L.C.S.W., it is based upon research in the field of adolescent issues. The earliest version of the 24-lesson curriculum was piloted in 1996 with the help of 13 brave girls. Twenty-six girls came the next season, then 75. In 2000, Girls on the Run International, a 501(c)(3) organization was born.

Today, there are Girls on the Run programs in 190 cities/counties across North America, with tens of thousands of girls and women participating. In 2007, Girls on the Run hosted more than 70 end-of-season 5K events across the United States and Canada. Girls on the Run has been featured in many media outlets, including People, Runner’s World, Redbook, Woman’s Day, O Magazine, Fitness Magazine, Running Time, CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, NBC News, NPR, ESPN and Forbes.

Molly was selected as a national speaker in Oprah Winfrey’s “Hi Gorgeous” tour and in 2006, she was the recipient of several prestigious national awards, including Redbook magazine’s “Strength and Spirit Award,” which recognizes individuals who are building a better future for all of us; the “Woman’s Day Award” from Woman’s Day magazine, which salutes individuals who have used their vision and heart to help fix pressing problems; and the highly prestigious “Heroes of Running Award” from Runner’s World magazine. Corporate sponsors for Girls on the Run International include New Balance, Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, Horizon Fitness and Goody’s Hair Products.

The true success of the program, however, is told in the words of its past and present participants. “I used to be shy, but now I’m not anymore.” “I know that whatever I set my mind to do, I can do.” “Girls on the Run helps me feel awesome about myself!” ” Girls on the Run showed me that fear can be defeated.” Now that is success!