Shelby Deering is a really impressive young writer from Madison, Wisconsin who I’ve known for over a year. Naturally, I’m really excited to share her first guest post for Girl HeadQuarters! Here’s Shelby, writing about Girls on the Run, a dynamic girl power-minded organization:

Girls on the Run: Buildin Self-Esteem One Step at a Time

When I was 13-years old, I felt like my life was moving in slow-motion. Three years until I could get my drivers’ license. Five years until I went to college. And who knows how many years until I would meet the man of my dreams and become a big-time magazine writer. I’m sure almost all of you can relate to this. But when I discovered running, my slow-paced life was suddenly on the fast track.

I don’t know exactly how it happened. It was as though I looked down at my feet one day and said, “You can move faster!” And move faster I did, running sprints in the wooded area behind my house, up and over the big hill to catch the last glimpse of the sunset before running home to my schoolwork. It was my secret time to really be myself. No one else around. Just me, the wind, and the sound of my pounding feet.

As I ran more and more, my confidence soared. I felt strong and powerful. On my runs, I would picture a big, bright future for myself. Running got me through high school, college, and to this day is still my personal space to be the most self-confident version of myself.

Running, and the awesome confidence I got as a result, is all self-taught. But it was tough learning these things on my own. I look back and wish I had someone running alongside me, constantly telling me how strong I was and encouraging me to keep going. Luckily, there’s an organization out there today that does just that.

It’s called Girls on the Run, and it’s an international non-profit organization that trains pre-teen girls (grades 3-5) for a final 5K running event (3.1 miles). But it doesn’t stop at running. Girls on the Run also includes educational lessons on lots of topics that are important to young girls, like body image, friendships, making good decisions and feeling good about yourself. There’s also a Girls on Track program for girls in 6th through 8th grades.

As a coach for my local chapter of Girls on the Run, I feel so good encouraging girls to be more happy and healthy. It’s such a wonderful feeling to see my girls grow faster, stronger, and build greater friendships with the other girls throughout the season. I’ve seen girls who really don’t like running become girls who absolutely love running. I’ve seen girls who didn’t even know they were athletic become our superstar runners. And when it came time to do the lessons, I saw girls who used to be quiet and shy become bubbly and full of opinions!

Isn’t it amazing to see what running can do? It may seem like it’s just putting one foot in front of the other, but who knows? With each step, you could be running towards a more confident version of you!

Want to participate in Girls on the Run or Girls on Track? Visit Girlsontherun.org for more information and to find a chapter in your area! Are you in high school? Girls on the Run is ALWAYS looking for teen gals to volunteer as “running buddies” to run with the girls and encourage them during their final 5K race.