Girls on the Run Charlotte launches at-home fitness campaigns amid canceled season

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Girls on the Run Charlotte is shifting its health and fitness curriculum to adapt to the new world of social distancing.

“With the cancellation of schools and the restrictions around large public events, our organization has been greatly impacted by the spread of the coronavirus,” said Maghan Knight, director at Girls on the Run Charlotte.

Last week, the organization made the decision to cancel the remainder of its season – including in-person practices and its annual 5K celebration that was scheduled for May 3.

“While we will miss the direct connection with our coaches and girls, we recognize the responsibility we have to ensure a safe and healthy community,” said Knight.

Girls on the Run Charlotte is a nonprofit organization that offers experienced-based programming aimed at strengthening third to eighth-grade girls’ social, emotional, physical and behavioral skills.

To uphold its mission of providing opportunities that promote physical health and wellness, GOTR launched two virtual initiatives: GOTR at Home and #GOTRGotYourBack.

GOTR at Home consists of interactive, on-demand videos and PDFs that provide at-home activities and lesson plans for registered spring-season participants.

“Every Monday morning, our families receive access to these fun and easy-to-use lessons that girls and families can do at home,” said Knight. “These lessons include topics such as ‘Dealing When Things Get Difficult’ and ‘Practicing Positivity’.”

While GOTR at Home was designed for current GOTR participants, the digital campaign, #GOTRGotYourBack, offers physical health tips and activities available to everyone.

“Physical activity is woven into all Girls on the Run programming with the goal to inspire participants to live more joyful, healthy and confident lives,” Knight said. “We hope to continue to provide positivity to our girls and greater community through physical activity with GOTR at Home and #GOTRGotYourBack.”

Knight said that she realizes that everyone does not have a safe or accessible place to train for a 5K, get outside or be active, but she hopes that GOTR resources will encourage the community to get creative and have fun with physical activity.

“At Girls on the Run, one of our core values is to embrace our differences and find strength in our connectedness,” Knight said. “During this difficult time, I have witnessed this value come to life in many ways and find encouragement in seeing our community display compassion, resiliency, and connection.”

Knight noted that many of the GOTR volunteers are in professions that now have them working on the front lines to battle the coronavirus and serve the community.

“My hope is that we continue to lift up our local heroes, small businesses, nonprofits and one another,” said Knight. “We thank you for the work you do each day to support our youth and to ensure our community’s health and safety.”

If you have an inspiring story to share, email Sinead Taylor, WSOC-TV community affairs specialist, at Sinead.Taylor@wsoc-tv.com.

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