BRATTLEBORO-Theresa Glabach, Girls on the Run Vermont board member, coaches the program at Putney Central School alongside physical education teacher Maddie Harlow.
Glabach spoke with The Commons recently. Here is an excerpt from the conversation:
Victoria Chertok: What was it about GOTRVT that drew you in initially?
Theresa Glabach: I first came to Girls on the Run as a SoleMate [described on the GOTR website as a "community made up of passionate people raising money for Girls on the Run"].
I had gone through a personal journey to overhaul my health and wellness. Along the way, I - the kid who hated running! - ended up becoming a runner and completed the 4 × 4 × 48 Charity Challenge, where you run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours straight. In between the runs, you could rest, eat, and do anything you'd like. As wild as it sounds to most people, it was one of the most incredible experiences.
So much of what I learned and was celebrating ended up being perfectly aligned with GOTR.
From there, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the GOTR 5K in Manchester. Being surrounded by hundreds of girls bursting with excitement and pride was amazing, and then I got on the course.
There were girls everywhere cheering each other on, giving me high fives and encouragement, or slowing down to support others who just needed a friend.
It was unlike anything I had experienced at that age, and I knew GOTRVT was for me!
V.C.: What's it like being a volunteer coach in Putney this year?
T.G.: Being a coach in Putney is incredibly rewarding! We have a wonderful group of 14 GOTR girls (for grades 3–5) and seven Heart & Sole girls (for grades 6–8), many of whom are returning from last year. We have a lot of silly days - the girls really engage with the curriculum, and I love seeing how much they grow in such a short period of time.
V.C.: Why do you volunteer as a board member?
T.G.: By serving on the board of directors, I'm able to help shape and spread this organization because we all deserve to have the skills and confidence to pursue our dreams. Girls on the Run is everything I didn't know I needed at that age, and I want to make sure the girls of Vermont have access to this program.
V.C.: Tell me about SoleMates and your personal challenge of running at least 1 mile in every Vermont town.
T.G.: I love being a SoleMate. I'm actually in the middle of a SoleMates challenge right now!
As a SoleMate you can [make anything a benefit for GOTR], like a birthday fundraiser, a challenge you want to accomplish, or a race you want to complete. If it is for a challenge or race, raising money for GOTR is a great motivator for the days when you might not want to get out to train or you might want to call it quits.
Right now, I'm attempting to run at least 1 mile in every Vermont town within the Girls on the Run season and beat the current time record in place.
For me, I see this one as more than a fundraiser. By doing it during the season, I am able to actively apply the lessons we facilitate, see the way it applies to me, and better talk about the lessons with the girls. I'm able to literally spread GOTR to every town, and meet people who are either connected or not.
Plus, I get to do something that's really hard - just like the girls who are learning about themselves and working toward completing the end-of-season 5K!
This News item by Victoria Chertok was written for The Commons.