Wondergirl culminates 12-week Girls on the Run after-school program
It was all about the girls June 2 at the Takeda Wondergirl 5K run/walk as hundreds of girls, some with crowns, showed up with their moms, dads, aunts, neighbors, and volunteer coaches for the sold-out run to celebrate fitness and self confidence with Girls on the Run.

Girls on the Run is an afterschool program that encourages preteen girls to be active and learn about healthy nutrition. Volunteers, like Sara Kelly, a senior at Northwestern University, help girls learn about the food pyramid, practice teamwork, and other self-confidence skills. When it came to race day, Kelly said her girls were eager to show off their skills. Last week, during one of the last practices Kelly said she asked her group to practice the 5K to make sure they were ready, and many of the girls were excited and proud to learn that they could do it. On Saturday, all of her team passed the finish line.

"Having all of the other girls there was a big rush for them," said Kelly. "It said a lot about them that they were prepared and felt like they could do it."

The girls were greeted across the trail by enthusiastic volunteers who cheered and pointed out water stations. Even though not everyone ran or even made it to the end, this was the one race where it didn't matter at all. And that's why volunteers like Kelly, a longtime runner, love the program.

"It's not based on speed, it's just based on doing it and making yourself feel good about it," she said.

That attitude that Girls on the Run instills in its participants is why mothers like Jan Sugar loves her 10-year-old daughter, Rachel Webb, participating in the program. Rachel got involved through her school, and trained with her peers as well as her dad who ran with her.

"This just seemed like an awesome opportunity to move and for her to push herself and do something that she never thought she could do," Sugar said.

Girls on the Run is a 12-week program run around the Chicago area. To get involved as a volunteer or as a participant, check out www.gotrchicago.org.