[Danielle Balocca]: Hey Medford Biceps listeners, I know I just announced that new episodes would come out weekly, but I wanted to release this episode early so that folks have time to be involved with Girls on the Run end of the season 5k. In this episode, I interview Aoife Mary, one of the Girls on the Run coaches. You'll also hear from some of the current Girls on the Run participants. There's information in the show notes about the 5k and how to sign up or volunteer, and just to get more information about the program. Hope you enjoy. Thanks so much for joining me today. If you could just start by introducing yourself, your name, and your pronouns.
[SPEAKER_01]: Hello, everybody. My name is Aoife Mary, and I go by she, her.
[Danielle Balocca]: Great. Thank you. So I know we're going to talk about girls on the run today, but before we get into that, I've been asking everybody about their favorite places to eat in Medford, what they like to eat there.
[SPEAKER_01]: So we have a favorite place for treats on Saturday or Sunday morning, Donuts with a Difference. Oh my gosh, they're the best donuts. Only thing is, there's always a queue. You have to wait for them, so be prepared to wait, but they're well worth the wait. And I'm not gonna say there's any such thing as an Irish donut, but these are very comparable to the donuts you get at home. They're very light and fluffy and delish. And because they're so busy and so popular, they're always warm when you get them, and they're gorgeous. See that, Donuts with a Difference.
[Danielle Balocca]: That's a good one. I know there's other places like Union Square Donuts that just do really fancy donuts, but the simpleness of the donuts with the difference in the freshness, that's what makes the difference.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's it. Some of the fancy ones are too dense. And don't get me wrong. People love them, and that's great. But I like a nice, light, fluffy one.
[Danielle Balocca]: Same, same. Good. Well, thank you. OK, so we wanted to hear a little bit about Girls on the Run. So if you could just tell us a little bit about the program.
[SPEAKER_01]: So Girls on the Run is an after school running program for girls through third through fifth grade. But it's, I always tell people, it's far more than a running program. So it was developed in, started in North Carolina in 1996. This woman, Molly Barker is her name. And her background is in education and social work. And she's like a three-time Ironwoman, which is pretty cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: So she kind of found the need in her community to start a program that was like specifically directed towards girls this age, right, 8 through 13. And through her research, she kind of found that those years, girls are still kind of receptive to adult influences. But they're also starting to feel like peer pressure and all that kind of stuff. So she developed this program to be a bit positive influence and set some really good guidelines for them. And she had 13 people in her first group. And now in 2021, the program has served over 2 million girls around the country. Yeah, really cool. And I think annually, the stats are like 200,000 girls a year enrolled. in over 200 cities across the country.
[Danielle Balocca]: Wow.
[SPEAKER_01]: So it's pretty awesome.
[Danielle Balocca]: Just had a 25th anniversary.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. On the 25th anniversary, we had served two million girls.
[SPEAKER_00]: Wow.
[SPEAKER_01]: That was like the marker. Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Wow.
[SPEAKER_01]: Pretty cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's awesome.
[SPEAKER_01]: But when I say it's more than a running program, so it is a running program. There's practice twice a week and we run at every practice and then the big event at the end is this big celebratory 5k that everyone, the goal is to complete it, right? So there's lots of running, but it's far more than that. There's a really kind of There's a particular curriculum that we follow. It's really intentional. And it's all about social and emotional growth and positive behaviors, all of this kind of stuff. It's really, really cool. PETE LEPAGE, JR.:
[Danielle Balocca]: : Awesome. And so 5K, that's 3.1 miles, right? So that's a lot of running, yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's awesome. PETE LEPAGE, JR.:
[Danielle Balocca]: : Yeah. And so is there an expectation of ability? Or do some people run the whole time or walk sometimes?
[SPEAKER_01]: So Girls on the Run is available for everybody, right? As long as you can move forward. If you're running, walking, skipping, jumping, if you need a crutch or a wheelchair, there's a space for everybody. And on that note, I will say, too, that because it's so important to make it available to everybody, there is the opportunity for financial assistance for families that qualify. So it really is Girls on the Run we want. Any girl that wants to participate, we want to make it available to them. Yeah.
[Danielle Balocca]: Oh, that's good history to hear about the program. What kind of motivated you to get involved as a coach?
[SPEAKER_01]: So I work in the fitness industry. I have for a long time. In the last eight years, I've worked for HealthWorks. I'm going to give HealthWorks a shout out here now, because it's such a brilliant place to work, brilliant place to work out in, a great community to be a part of. So side note. If you're looking for a gym or a trainer or a space to take classes, look up Healthworks. We are located in the Back Bay in Cambridge, in Coolidge Corner. And it's an awesome place to visit, awesome place to be. But it's women only. It's a women only facility. And so for the last eight years, I've come across a lot of women that unfortunately have these unhealthy habits and unhealthy relationships with food and with exercise and body image issues. And nine times out of 10, it all started when they were young. And so when it was first introduced at the Roberts, so Brianna, who was Brianna Lunger-Curran, our current mayor and newly re-elected mayor. When she was city councilwoman, she brought the program to the Roberts. And I have two boys there. And so it was a post on Facebook, like, if you have a young girl and you want to join this group. And I was like, man, I would love to get into that and help kind of like put my future self out of business. Right. So if you can start helping people when they're young, then when they're 30, they don't have to come to you. And like, you know, that was kind of my think about it. Also, I love running. I love being outside and playing and messing. Yeah, so I volunteered. I messaged Brianna. I was like, yeah, I'd love to be part of it. And she was like, OK, cool. And that was the very first season. And here we are, five seasons later. It's awesome. Yeah.
[Danielle Balocca]: And you mentioned having two boys. So you probably have had conversations with them about the importance of you being involved in a program like this. What are those conversations like?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so I think, first of all, I think it's really important to give back to the community, right? And so they know that. Their dad coaches, he volunteers too, my husband, Ryan Murray. So it's part of the family, that's what you do. When you can, you help out. You go, you pick up the rubbish when it's rubbish picking up day. buy a big good at the PTO sale, you make something, you just contribute however you can, whenever you can to your own community. Because like in our minds, like you can contribute to the bigger picture. But if you're not helping out at home and trying to be a part of the small changes that are right in front of you. You know, that's not as good. And so we do. We talk about it a lot because there are like, unfortunately, these like unconscious biases still. Right. But part of Molly's program, when she started originally, she had this thing. She called it the girl box. And at that age, 8 to 13, is when we start to put ourselves or other people put us into the girl box, right? Well, you can't do that because you're a girl. Or you probably wouldn't want to do that because you're a girl. Or I definitely can't do that because I'm a girl. And so then you limit your capabilities. You limit all of the possibilities for yourself as a young person or other people limit them for you. And so the boys know that girls can do anything they can do. But it also put, not just telling them, but I do it then, right? I do all of the things that you would think that a boy could only do. So lead by example, you know? And then we have these conversations constantly. And sometimes they don't even understand why a girl wouldn't be allowed to do something. Like here in Boston, we have this history with the Boston Marathon. And when Catherine had her anniversary, we were watching. So the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. And we were watching the celebrations. And they're like, why? We don't understand. Like, what's the anniversary of? Like, why was she not allowed to run previous to that? And I was like, because girls weren't allowed. And Connor legit was like. But Parker, in my class, is so much faster than me. It doesn't make any sense that she's a girl and he's a boy. She's just as fast, so she should be allowed to run if she wants to run. So I think that we're really fortunate, Danielle. Our generation is changing the way that we're raising our kids. And so then our kids are going to be Like, don't get me wrong, I'm sure there's still going to be struggles, and there'll be fights to be had, and challenges ahead. But I think we're going to set them up for success in a way that some generations haven't beforehand, I would say. Just build an awareness.
[Danielle Balocca]: Well, I think it's one thing to tell girls what we want them to be capable of or how we value them, but that has to be sort of across the board.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's it. The boys have to know, too. Yeah. So when they see me, and like they do, Kian, not so much. He's eight. He doesn't care as much. But Connor. was in third grade when he had third grade friends as part of the program, and fourth grade, and now he's in fifth grade. And so he'll ask me, what was the lesson today, Mom? And I'm like, oh, it was about gratitude. And here we go, and let's talk about it. And he's like, yeah, that's awesome. That makes sense. It works for him, too. You know what I mean? Yeah, it's good. They love it. And then they always come down to volunteer. So yesterday, we had a practice 5K. So Ryan and the kids came. They stood on one of the crosswalks to make sure that when the girls were running, there's no traffic or whatever. So they're intuitive. They're supportive. It's awesome.
[Danielle Balocca]: That's awesome. Great. Yeah. And I'm wondering, has there been anything hard or a hard part about your role?
[SPEAKER_01]: So I don't find coaching is fine. I have patience. It's easy for me to be motivating and to keep it up and fun. I love it. I love coaching. I will say that every season when we start again, being a mom of two boys and mostly hanging out with the boys, when you get together and there's like 25 young girls, the screaming. Like, there's so much screaming. And I always forget. And I always am like, oh my God, why is there so much screaming? And then I remember, and it's fine. But it's just a different thing when you have 25 girls, especially at the beginning of a season. Because everyone's really excited, and there may be some new people that are nervous. So the energy is just kind of bananas. And it's very screamy. But that's the only thing, honestly, I'd like. Every day at home, I'd have this practice. It was awesome. Let me tell you who did what. It's always a great experience.
[Danielle Balocca]: It's great. Yeah, it's great. And what's been the most rewarding part for you?
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh man, the rewarding parts. There really is so many. And in no particular order, right? Firstly, on a personal level, it gives me the opportunity to connect with families that I may not cross paths with otherwise, right? So if you're not in the boys' class or their grade or play on their sports team, or if they don't play in the playground together or something, then there's a chance I may never meet you. Do you know what I mean? So it's cool for me personally, like I get to connect with other people in the community. I think that's awesome. And then rewarding, like every day, these girls work a little bit harder. Whether it's running faster or not taking as many breaks or like just contributing more in a group discussion or like remembering a lesson from the week before like every day you see growth and then at the end of the day when we have our celebratory 5k which we can talk about in a minute but like when these girls cross the finish line there is no better feeling in the world like they legit each and every one of them feels like a superstar and it's just incredible yeah yeah
[Danielle Balocca]: I think running is so interesting like compared to other sports where there's like a real discipline and it's like you're almost like competing against yourself even though you're in a race but like my dad also he's a coach cross-country track and field and he would always talk about like his athletes being just really focused in lots of other ways and so there being these other benefits to to having running as a part of their life to think about a third grader running a 5k like i would have never like running for me as a kid was always like a punishment like you're late to practice you run laps or like you know yeah it was used as in that way and for to this to really be like the way to empower these girls. It's a nice reframe.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, it's awesome. And like some of the girls this season are like third graders, like maybe just eight, you know, maybe they won't be nine until, like Mike Kean is eight, he won't be nine until next July.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_01]: So they're only turning eight. And they're killing it. Yeah, it's great.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's awesome.
[SPEAKER_01]: And we make it, the coaches make it super fun too. So it's not, it doesn't feel like punishment. You know what I mean? Yeah.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah. That's awesome. How can girls get involved with girls on the run?
[SPEAKER_01]: So let me tell you, there's so many ways. So we have two teams here in Medford, which is awesome. There's also another part of, under the umbrella of Girls on the Run, there's another part called Heart and Soul for older girls. You can go onto girlsontherun.org and have a look. I don't know enough about that program, because I don't, I just, sorry, I just hit the microphone. I don't coach that, so I won't speak on that one, but it is there if you have older girls that are interested. But there's a million ways to get involved, right? So girlsontherun.org, you can volunteer to be a coach. You don't have to have kids in the program, like I don't. You don't have to live in the town. We have a lovely coach, Leah, who's been with us for ages, and she doesn't live in Medford, but she's awesome. And if you don't have a site close to you, you could apply for a site. all on girlsontherun.org if you want to bring it to your community. You can, for the big celebratory 5k, you can volunteer on that day. We're always looking for volunteers for that. There's, if you know a girl that's running or participating in the program, we ask for a running buddy for the 5k day. So all the girls have to run with a buddy who's over 18. You can go on to girlsontherun.org again and buy some schwag. So there's jumpers and hats and mugs and things. You can buy great Christmas presents, right? You can also sponsor a Girl on the Run. So like if you want, like one year a client of mine sponsored a Girl on the Run for me as a Christmas gift. Oh, so special. I was crying. like that's really cool right to be able to put that like I said there is a sliding scale if a family needs financial aid it's available but also like for somebody else to gift that to you like that's super cool and then just spread the word you know like it's all over the country so if you have an aunt in Philadelphia or like a cousin in I don't know, Texas. And they have small, little, young girls, should I say, in their lives. Just spread the word. The more people that know about it, the more girls that take advantage and participate in the program, the better we'll all be.
[Danielle Balocca]: Awesome. And so for girls that want to run, for girls on the run, is it the fall season? Is it all year?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so the fall season is coming to an end on November 20th when we have our celebratory 5K. I said that a few times. And then the spring season, I don't have dates for it yet, but there is a spring season and a fall season. And that will be we'll be getting that information soon enough because they do they get the coaches in early We go through training when you're a turning coach. You don't have to do as much training But and every season this training to be done get CPR certified And we are mandated reporters too. So there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes to beforehand and And so that will be out soon enough But all of it's on girlsontherun.org. And you can follow them on Instagram, on Facebook, like all of the social media platforms. Awesome.
[Danielle Balocca]: And so the 5K is November 20th?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, let's talk about it. So, November 20th. We're really lucky because the 5K is being hosted in Medford at Hormel Stadium. So and it has a couple of years previous, it's been there and then we didn't do it in person with a big group during COVID, unfortunately. So this is like a big deal to have it back in person. And it's all of the teams from the greater Boston area. So there's going to be over 800 girls. running with their running buddy, so 1,600 people at least. Then there's coaches, there's grandparents, it's going to be so fun. And the girls get there in the morning, we all have a team t-shirt, right, which is great, and every girl is number one, which is really cool, yeah. And so you get there, and there's a DJ, there's music, there's balloons. It's so festive. And just to point out to you, I know you said earlier when you were talking about being focused and running in a race, you're running against yourself. This is, just to be clear, it's non-competitive. It's not about who's the fastest. It's about completing your goal of how long you want it to take you to get there and crossing the finish line, doing the whole thing. And we do also have one woman who always crosses last and she's in a Wonder Woman costume. Therefore, no girl is ever last. Right. No, there's no like last place. Wonder Woman always finishes last, which is an awesome way to close it out. But the girls, there's loads of like flair and glitter hairspray and glitter face paints and A lot more screaming. It was so fun. Everyone's so excited. And when they go out, like when the girls cross over, like I said, every single one of them comes back in. We have 27 girls on our team this year. Every one of them feeling like an absolute superstar. Like, how rewarding is that? Like, the best feeling in the world. And then when you think about it, like, It's just such like for them, it's such a tangible understanding of like setting a goal, working hard towards it and completing a goal, right? Life skills like that's forever. Do you know what I mean? It's awesome. And just their sense of accomplishment. And they're all so proud of themselves and they're so proud of each other, you know, and they all like as soon as one crosses, they'll turn around and get ready to clap for the next one. And that's brilliant. It's a brilliant day out. If you're here on November 20th, come to Hormel Stadium. You can cheer along the route, you can cheer at the stadium, you can get a feel for what it's all about. And like I said, we're always looking for volunteers for that day too. GirlsOnTheRun.org.
[Danielle Balocca]: Right, and I'll put that in our show notes too.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh yeah, yeah. Because I haven't said it enough.
[Danielle Balocca]: It's easy for me to remember now too.
[SPEAKER_01]: So is there anything else that you wanted to add about Girls On The Run? So if I could go back to talking about the curriculum just for a minute to give folks a better idea of what it's all about. So we have, each practice has a lesson attached to it, right? And they fall under this umbrella of what we call the five C's. So competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring. And so, like, the first few lessons are all about understanding, like, helping the girls understand their own core values and, like, what's important to them. And then the middle few are about, like, teamwork and connection. And then the last few are about, like, community and how you can have a positive impact in your own community. And the lessons are awesome. They go from lessons on gratitude, on managing your emotions and being able to express your emotions, resolving conflict and resiliency. The lessons are awesome. And they all line up to have this very positive influence on behaviors, habits, and life skills moving forward.
[Danielle Balocca]: You know what I mean? That sounds great.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's awesome. I would like to say, give the coaches a shout out. Because we have this stellar group of coaches here in Redford at the Roberts. Each, very different backgrounds. Everybody has their own coaching style. Everybody interacts with the girls a little bit differently. But we make it work. And they keep it super fun. Everyone is super dedicated. They're a great crew. And I think that Redford Roberts is really lucky to have our coaches.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[Danielle Balocca]: Awesome. Yeah. Thank you. Well, thank you so much for talking about Girls on the Run, letting us know. I learned a lot from this interview. And thank you for the work that you're doing. Thanks for having me, Danielle.
[SPEAKER_01]: You're killing it, the podcast. Thank you. Killing it.
[Danielle Balocca]: All right. Thanks. As Eva mentioned, more information can be found at www.girlsontherun.org. And for the local chapter, girlsontherunboston.org. And you can still sign up to help out for the 5K on November 20th at Hormel Stadium. To register or for more details about the event, visit girlsontherunboston.org slash 5K. You can also find these links in the show notes. Now, let's hear from some of the Girls on the Run participants.
[SPEAKER_06]: What is your name?
[SPEAKER_04]: My name is Kay Benowitz.
[SPEAKER_06]: What are your pronouns?
[SPEAKER_04]: She, her, and hers.
[SPEAKER_06]: And how old are you?
[SPEAKER_04]: I'm eight years old.
[SPEAKER_06]: And what is your best memory about Girls on the Run so far?
[SPEAKER_04]: When I wrote my goal, 12 laps. And on Tuesday, I got 12. And then I practiced a little more. And on Thursday, I really showed off. And I got 15. I was really excited.
[SPEAKER_05]: That's my best goal. And then what advice might you give to a new girl coming on to Girls in the Room?
[SPEAKER_04]: I would say to keep your pace and to keep going, running, jogging, or walking. And you should always have fun.
[SPEAKER_05]: Awesome. Thank you.
[SPEAKER_02]: Hi, my name is Audrey. She, her. I'm in third grade and nine years old. This is my first season of Girls on the Run and my best memories so far are getting my first energy award at practice and when I finished my practice 5k. I was really proud of myself after both. The energy award is given to a couple girls at the end of practice for working super hard and not giving up. The best advice I have for other girls is to keep on going and moving forward, even if you have to walk or slow down. Just keep going forward and always encourage each other.
[SPEAKER_03]: Hi, my name is Parker Sheeher. I'm 11 years old and I'm in fifth grade. I've had so many fun memories from Girls on the Run, and it's super hard to just choose one. But I do love the end of the season pizza party in 5K. We paint our faces, cheer on our teammates, and have a lot of fun with the running. Running is one of my favorite things to do. The best advice I would give to other girls is to try your hardest, persevere, but also have a lot of fun along the way. I'll be sad to leave the Girls on the Run program when I'm in sixth grade, but I'm super excited to run cross country. Good luck to all my teenagers in the upcoming 5K, and thank you so much for having me on this podcast.
[Danielle Balocca]: Thanks so much to Coach Aoife and to Parker, Audrey, and Kay, as well as to their parents. Thanks to everyone for listening. If you have feedback or ideas for future podcasts, email medfordpod at gmail.com. Guys, what's the name of the podcast? Medford Bites. Medford Bites. Good job.