Fearless

When Isabel was in preschool, she decided to give dance lessons a try.

She was adorable, and pretty darn talented.

She practiced all year and then performed in the recital at the end of the season.

The next year, she gave gymnastics a try, then decided to do dance again.  She was great at everything she did, but the recitals at the end of each session gave her such anxiety, she just couldn't stand it.

She took a couple of years off, then finally let me talk her into trying a running program last fall.  Many of you may remember my posts about Girls on the Run (GOTR).  It was such an awesome experience, for both Isabel and myself.

Recently, Isabel entered an essay contest for GOTR.  The assignment was to answer this question in 300 words or less:  How has Girls on the Run helped you to be more fearless?  The prize is $500, plus $3500 in scholarship money for your chapter of GOTR.  The following is Isabel's essay (she really does sound this grown-up; the only help I gave her was removing some of the unnecessary commas):

"Girls on the Run has helped me alot with my life.  While I was in this program, I made new friends, got in shape, and learned important traits to have to be a good person.  I would like to tell you about my life before I found Girls on the Run.  All through my childhood, I was good at running and I was very flexible.  I tried out a few different activities, including two years of dance class and two years of gymnastics.  These activities were fun, but each had a performance at the end, and I felt sick whenever I thought about being on a stage.

Then, last year, my mom's friend found a really cool program called Girls on the Run.  In that program, you exercise and learn how to make good choices.

I had heard of GOTR the year before, but I didn't know much about it.  When I found out my mom was going to be one of the coaches, and a bunch of my friends were joining, I decided to give it a try.  During this program, we talked about bullying, how bad drugs are for you, good traits to have, and how important it is to exercise and eat healthy.  While running, I found my pace, kept breathing steadily and always met my goals for that session.

I gained confidence and became a better, nicer and healthier person.  After finishing this program, I know I will NEVER try drugs; I know I will eat healthy (most of) the time, and I will exercise by running and walking a lot!

When I crossed the finish line of the GOTR 5K, I didn't feel sick or nervous about my running performance, I just felt proud."

Isabel K., age 10

Whether she wins the essay contest or not, this girl has already won my heart, and the hearts of so many others.

It is amazing to be so inspired by your own daughter, but inspired I am.  I was nowhere near this mature and confident at the age of ten.  Wow!