Gardnertown Girls on the Run Club Completes 5K

By Ms. Colleen Santo

GOSHEN – Eighteen girls in 3rd through 5th grade at Gardnertown Leadership Academy, along with their running buddies and coaches, completed a 5K in June at Legoland. This exciting and impactful event was the culmination of a 10 week Girls on the Run program.

Throughout the season, their trained volunteer coaches, Mrs. Perez, Mrs. Salazar, and Mrs. Santo, inspired the GLA girls to build confidence and other important life skills through a curriculum of interactive lessons and physical activities. These girls learned about themselves, how to work as a team, recognize how they can impact the world, and how to improve their running stamina to complete a 5K. The friendships that formed, confidence that was built, and growth that was made was remarkable.

The 5K event started bright and early at 7:00 AM with stretching and a pep talk from Mr. Dottin, GLA’s principal. After which the girls got pumped up with tattoos, colored hairspray, sunglasses, and tutus. When the confetti shot into the air at the start line, thousands of girls were off with their running buddies and coaches through Legoland. The excitement and smiles were endless as each girl crossed the finished line after completing 3.1 miles.