Founder and Vision Keeper, Girls on the Run International

Girls on the Run is a non-profit program for preteen girls that emphasizes self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running.

Molly talks to us about her life’s calling, her daily life, and how the two converge.

What inspired you to start Girls on the Run?

I spent my formative years (up through fourth grade) with a mom who was struggling with alcoholism. I had the privilege of watching her “come to and awaken” when she hit 50. Part of her “coming to” included the experience of running. My mom would, long before it was “cool,” head out for her daily morning run. I would hear the screen door slam and 45 minutes later…she would return alive, present, and awake.

In sixth grade, I started a new school. Middle school is a tough time for most kids and I was no exception. I was one of a handful of new students. I felt invisible. In an effort to be popular, I stepped into the Girl Box-a phrase we’ve coined at Girls on the Run. The Girl Box is an imaginary space where girls often go around fifth grade. Girls in the Girl Box, who were formerly vibrant, self-confident and full of life begin to morph into what they think they should be instead of who they really are.

The messages we get from the “should and ought to” systems are shared with us from the time of our birth. We receive them directly and indirectly from the media, familial, societal, and cultural institutions.

Around the age of fifteen, I started running (with my mom) and discovered that when I ran I was (and still am) free of the stifling Girl Box. For that brief period of time I felt (feel) strong, empowered and beautiful. When I run, I am able to realize my potential and feel comfortable in my skin.

Ironically it was also at the age of fifteen, that I discovered alcohol. In an effort to fit into the Girl Box I took my first drink and because I hail from a family with alcoholism scattered throughout our family tree, it took a hold of me rapidly. When I was under the influence of alcohol (and the lifestyle that goes with it) I could be everything the Girl Box told me to be. I could dumb myself down and defer to boys in the classroom… I became flirtatious and spent incredible amounts of time concerned with my appearance. I could be everything that I wasn’t because I wasn’t truly present.

I went on to get a degree in chemistry from UNC and then a Masters in social work. I taught high school chemistry and served as a counselor in a number of social service settings. I began competing at the elite level in the sport of triathlon… completing three Hawaii Ironman Triathlons. But in 1993 all of this came crashing down.

On July 6, 1993, at the age of 32, I hit bottom. I called my sister Emily and begged her to help me. Desperate to get out of the depressing darkness of the Girl Box I did not feel as if I had any options, but to just…disappear. My sister comforted me. “This too shall pass,” she told me, a mantra I have relied upon for many years since, when I find myself in a dark place.

The next day was July 7, 1993. Around 4pm that day I decided to go for a run. I put on my running clothes. A thunderstorm was brewing off in the distance and I reconsidered…was it safe? Should I go? Maybe I should just give up? But amidst all the voices of the “should and ought to” people-the external influences that had brought me to this dark point in my life-I heard a small voice. She was encouraging, tender and real. “Go,” she told me. “Just go.”

And so I did. At about mile four of that five-mile run, something very powerful began to happen. I became quite conscious of the way the sweat was pouring down my face, back and chest. I could feel the pull of my ponytail as the sweat added weight and pulled it from my face with each stride. I became completely aware of the elements around me…the wind, the electricity, the approaching weather. And then in an instant, from one step to the next, I had an epiphany. At that moment (words will never do this experience justice), I just was. I was…present, real, one. There was no separation between my body, my self, my thoughts, my intention and the air around me. I felt strong, powerful, beautiful and whole.

I burst into tears and realized at that point that I must never ever allow external beliefs, systems or people to limit my potential. I realized that what I’d been seeking from the “right man, the right job, the right body” didn’t truly exist out there, but existed “in here, inside of me, and had been there all along.” I realized that I had not even begun to tap into my greatest human potential and that every step from here on out would be seeking people, places, experiences, and opportunities that would take me back to this experience and to this place of power, strength, and opportunity.

I walked home and knew that the greatest gift of that moment had yet to reveal itself. Over the next three years, a series of circumstances led me to create Girls on the Run…all rooted in this moment. I sought help for my alcoholism. I started working at a place that valued me and my gifts. This place also required me to educate myself on prevention strategies and education models. Life began to bring strong, compassionate, and loving people into my life.

I started Girls on the Run in September of 1996 thanks to the culminating influence of each and every one of these people, experiences, and circumstances.

LG: What inspired you to start Girls on the Run?

MB: At age 11, I stepped into the “Girl Box.”  The Girl Box is a place many girls go, around middle school, where morphing into what they think they should be becomes more important than just celebrating who they are. For years, I struggled trying to conform to the standards and lifestyle defined by the Girl Box. At age 32, I hit bottom. On the following day, July 7, 1993, while out on a run, I had an epiphany. About mile four of that run, something dramatic happened. I felt complete, whole and “in-powered” and knew that from that step on, I would do everything in my power to help girls and women recognize and achieve their greatest human potential.

LG: What is it about running that boosts girls’ confidence?

MB: Running for me is a form of empowerment. When I run, I have complete ownership of my body, my thoughts, my intention, and the space around me. I am confident, alive, and one. Running provides a safe space in my day when I just am. I believe that if you can determine that thing—that thing that you do where you feel the most alive, present and beautiful—then that is the thing you are supposed to use in your life to tap into your highest human potential. This is a concept we share with our girls—that embracing our gifts, whatever they may be, will take you to your highest place. For me, running is one of my greatest gifts, both to myself and to those around me.

LG: What’s your ultimate goal with Girls on the Run?

MB: To recognize, formalize and expand the roles of our current constituents, and engage millions in a social movement to shift the consciousness of individuals and organizations so that liberation starts when women are girls, continues throughout life, and liberates all of society in the process. The overarching goal is to create a more inclusive, compassionate and peaceful society for us all so that all girls and women can recognize and achieve their greatest human potential.

LG: Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

MB: My mom. She is the original Girl on the Run. At age 50, she tackled her alcoholism head-on. She peeled off 50 layers of people-pleasing, negative self-talk and poor self-esteem, and became the most authentic, alive, and genuine person I have ever known.

LG: Do you have a favorite run?

MB: The Davidson Cross Country Course [Davidson, NC]. I can cover ten miles in the woods. The silence there is deafening.

LG: What’s in your workout bag?

MB: You really don’t want to know. There are items tucked away in the corners that probably go back several years. Shampoo, “girl stuff,” hair dryer, brush, minimal makeup items, business cards and whatever clothes I’ll be changing into at the gym later in the day.

LG: How about your running playlist?

MB: The list changes all the time. Currently, I’m into 80s hits. Really bad stuff like KC & the Sunshine Band, The Weather Girls, Wild Cherry, The Doobie Brothers. (I told you it was really bad.)

LG: What gets you going in the morning?

MB: A strong cup of coffee after 20 minutes of meditation.

LG: How do you unwind at the end of the day?

MB: Big baggy sweatpants are a must, first and foremost upon walking in my door. Then, dinner with my two kids and cuddling up with them and my two dogs for a good movie. (That is when there is no homework to be done!)

LG: What other activities do you enjoy?

MB: Writing, weightlifting, cycling, people watching.

LG: Any new projects on the horizon?

MB: There are always new projects in my Rolodex brain, but only a few make it to the front. Currently my hands are joyfully full with travel, promoting the program, celebrating the girls in our program, and being the single mother to two emotionally and physically active children.

LG: How can Breathe readers get involved with Girls on the Run?

MB: Check out our website at girlsontherun.org. You can be a “running buddy” for a third- through fifth-grade girl in her first 5K. You can be a coach for the 10-12 week after-school program. You can be an ambassador for us by choosing to embrace your own gifts and in doing so, serve as a role model to all those with whom you come into contact.

Click here to check out the Girls on the Run video!

Click here to listen to Molly’s ‘Girls on the Run’ Playlist.