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Girls on the Run
Embracing a Positive Life
By Kelly Burgess
Girls on the Run was still a fairly new idea when Lauren Hensler of Allison Park, Pa., joined. She read about the program in a magazine in 1999 and called the national office to see about starting a chapter in Pittsburgh. By the spring of 2000, she had been through the training and incorporated a twice-a-week program that was sponsored by Magee Women's Hospital.
Hensler, who competes in ironman triathlons, said the program caught on so quickly that they are working to change venues for the 2004 race. Last year many family members wanted to participate along with the girls, so there were about 300 people – including babies in strollers – running the actual race.
After giving birth to her first child, Hensler stepped aside as coordinator of the Pittsburgh chapter of Girls on the Run. She sees herself staying involved as a runner and as the mother of a daughter.
"My daughter is already going with me running in her little jogging stroller, and I know this is something I want to pass on to her because it's been so positive for me," says Hensler. "As long as Girls on the Run is around, I know I'll be involved in some way."