For many Girls on the Run participants, crossing the 5K finish line is a moment they will never forget. For GOTR alums Michelle Valcich and Caroline Weiss, it marked the beginning of a journey that brought them back to the program to give back to the next generation of girls.
When Michelle looks back on her GOTR experience at Girls on the Run Northern Virginia, what stands out most to her isn’t the running, but the feeling that she belonged on a team.
“It was a place where I could build confidence, challenge myself, make friends, and learn that I was capable of doing hard things,” she recalls.
While she didn’t realize it at the time, GOTR also sparked a love of running that stayed with Michelle for years. “Girls on the Run helped shape my confidence, resilience, and love of running,” she says. “The lessons I learned about believing in yourself, supporting others, and continuing to push forward have stayed with me well beyond elementary school.”
Caroline remembers the Girls on the Run of Lancaster-Lebanon end-of-season 5K feeling daunting at first, but after a few practices, she was excited for the event. She recalls team cheers, collecting stickers, and running alongside one of her favorite teachers. “As an elementary schooler, GOTR provided a fun environment where I could learn, be myself, and work toward a goal,” she says.
Like Michelle, Caroline carried her love for running beyond the program and still turns to it to clear her mind. Looking back, Caroline recognizes how much it meant to her: “GOTR was a place where I was empowered and became more confident — and it gave me my love of running, which has stuck with me through the years.”
Caroline (pink shirt) and a friend at the GOTR 5K.
Coming Full Circle
Years after crossing the finish line as participants, both women found their way back to the program, this time in roles that allowed them to support the young girls in their communities.
For Michelle, returning as a coach felt like a natural next chapter. She wanted to give back to the program that taught her confidence and resilience, explaining that it was special to be ” on the other side of the program now” because she remembers just how much it can mean to a young girl ” to have a coach encouraging her, believing in her, and reminding her that she is capable.”
Caroline’s path back to GOTR began in high school while looking for ways to give back to her community. “GOTR was the first place I turned,” she shares. “It was very meaningful to me to engage other participants in this program first as a junior coach, and later during college as an assistant.”
Today, both alums stay connected to their GOTR roots through Beyond the Finish, the Girls on the Run alumni network.
Michelle (bottom left, blue sweater) and her GOTR team.
Passing the Lessons Along
As coaches, both Michelle and Caroline hoped to help girls recognize their potential and carry that confidence with them after the program ends.
Michelle hopes her participants leave the program believing in themselves. “I want them to know that they are strong, capable, and able to accomplish hard things — even when they don’t feel confident at first,” she reflects. She also emphasizes the importance of supporting one another, reminding them that everyone has something valuable to contribute to a team.
Caroline shares a similar hope for the girls she coached: “I hope that the girls I’ve coached take away positive memories, increased self-confidence, and valuable skills!”
When asked what advice they would give their younger, GOTR-aged selves, both women returned to the importance of believing in yourself. Caroline would encourage her younger self to “stay true to herself, celebrate her strengths, and lean on her friends, team, and family as she chases her goals.”
Michelle would remind her younger self not to worry so much about being “good enough” and would tell her, “She is capable of so much more than she realizes, and the confidence she is building now will stay with her for years to come.”
Caroline (left) and Michelle (right) today.
Your GOTR journey doesn’t have to end at the finish line!
Are you a Girls on the Run alum? Whether you’ve been involved as a participant, coach, staff member, or board member, your connection to GOTR is worth celebrating! Join Beyond the Finish, the GOTR Alumni Community, to stay connected and celebrate our impact.
As Caroline puts it, “I hope that my story inspires other girls and women to get or stay involved with GOTR and to find fulfillment through this program!”
