My running journey started in high school, when my childhood best friend and I signed up for the track team to "get in shape" for prom. We had no idea what we were getting into, but within the course of one season, we went from hiding out in the locker room to avoid warm ups to competing in 4x400s, 800s, the mile, and even the 3200.
In college, I joined the track team and later the cross country team, where I gained a whole new perspective on working together to achieve goals that felt impossible to reach alone. Running gave me the confidence to know I could do hard things, if I showed up every day willing to try.
Today, running looks pretty different for me. I'm not heading to the locker rooms for practice every afternoon, nor am I chasing PRs every weekend. However, the importance of running community is still so important to me - I hardly ever run alone!
I am fundraising for Girls on the Run MN because I know how transformative it can be to work with teammates towards a shared goal, or to hear from a coach that they believe in your potential. Running is a passion that you can pursue for a lifetime, and I want more girls to have the opportunity to grow as individuals and as athletes through Girls on the Run.
I hope you will consider joining my "team" for the 2026 Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon!
