Confidence can take many forms. It might look like speaking up in class, standing up for a friend, or trying out for a new team. But sometimes, confidence looks like exploring one of the most remote places on Earth.
This spring, an all-female team of explorers set off on the ultimate “Girls Trip,” a 20-day, self-guided polar expedition across the remote northwestern corner of Svalbard in the Arctic. Cat Burford, Amelia Rudd, Ayuka Kawakami, Jen McKeown, and Emma Wright battled freezing temperatures, hauled sleds across snow and ice, and navigated the harsh environment during the almost three-week journey. But the team wasn’t just chasing an adrenaline rush — they were helping inspire the next generation of girls while fundraising for Girls on the Run.
For the women of Girls Trip, this journey was never just about reaching a destination. It was about showing girls everywhere that they are capable of doing hard things, especially when they lean on teamwork, resilience, and their authentic selves.
‘The Best Trips Are Girls’ Trips’
Expedition leader Cat Burford says the idea for Girls Trip came after years of polar training and a solo expedition to the South Pole. While she loved the challenge, she knew she wanted her next adventure to focus on something different: connection.
“I believe that the best trips are girls’ trips,” Cat shared before the expedition. “When I am together with my tribe of women, we find the fun in everything, we laugh so much, and encourage each other to not take ourselves too seriously.”
That spirit of joy became central to the expedition’s mission. “It was time to show people that there is a lot of joy in the challenge of expeditions,” Cat said.
‘We Can Do Hard Things!’
For Ayuka Kawakami, a polar explorer, climate advocate, and former coach with Girls on the Run NYC, the expedition connected closely to the lessons she once taught girls in the program.
“I strongly felt there was a perfect alignment between the team and what GOTR teaches,” Ayuka said. “We all felt passionate about inspiring people, especially young girls, to be courageous and believe in themselves as they chase bold dreams.”
Ayuka hopes that girls who learn about her expedition will see that adventure, leadership, and resilience are qualities women and girls can aspire to and take pride in.
“I want them to know that there are women like us out there doing tough, sometimes crazy adventures in the Arctic, treating each other with kindness and having lots of laughs while completing a journey through teamwork.”
That teamwork was essential throughout the expedition. In such an extreme environment, success depends not on individual achievement, but on supporting one another through challenges, uncertainty, and exhaustion.
And while the expedition was physically demanding, the team says some of the hardest challenges were mental.
“I try to build my confidence ‘muscle’ by pushing past my limits a little each time,” Ayuka explained.
Finding Joy in the Challenge
For Cat, finding joy became a survival skill during difficult expeditions.
“Finding the joy when expeditions got tough was my natural way of coping,” she shared. “It really shifted my mindset and enabled me to have perspective instead of spiraling into negative thinking.”
That idea closely mirrors lessons Girls on the Run participants learn throughout the season: the words we tell ourselves matter. Whether girls are completing their first 5K, trying something outside their comfort zone, or facing challenges at school, positive self-talk can have a major impact.
Teammate Amelia Rudd also emphasized that fear and doubt are normal — even for experienced explorers.
“Of course I have fears and doubts — everyone does!” Amelia shared. “But I am used to that feeling and being able to carry on anyway.”
Stronger Together
Along the way, the Girls Trip team also supported scientific research in the Arctic, collecting snow samples to help scientists better understand how pollution and climate change are impacting polar regions.
But perhaps the expedition’s greatest impact is the example these women are setting for girls everywhere. The team hopes girls see that strength comes in many forms, and that leadership, kindness, curiosity, courage, humor, perseverance, and teamwork all matter.
“I hope they will recognize the power of friendship, teamwork, and showing up for each other,” Cat said. “We are all different and bring our own personalities and strengths, and it is these differences that make us stronger together.”
Whether on snowy Arctic terrain or at a Girls on the Run practice, confidence grows when girls discover they are supported, capable, and stronger than they imagined.
