It’s hard being the new kid in elementary school. Even for a little girl willing to make friends anywhere, the first day is still filled with change. Which part of the playground is least intimidating? What hand games do they play? And if you’re new to Wisconsin, what in the world is a bubbler—and why would there be one in the hallway? Madison, Wisconsin, felt a world away from Sabeel’s previous home in Illinois.
But sitting on the yellow school bus home from third grade, Sabeel Samrah first heard about Girls on the Run. She had just figured out the answers to those questions and finally learned the names of the other girls on her bus—and their schedules—when a new change arrived: her bus buddy, Anna, hadn’t boarded with her.
“You missed the bus yesterday,” Sabeel said, worried. “It was really quiet…”
“I was at a club!” Anna explained eagerly. “With the girls from the stop before us. Do you like running? We all do a club together where we play running games and give Energy Awards at the end of practice!”
Energy Awards and running and friends, Sabeel thought. That sounds cool. Plus, I want to be just as fast as my older sister!
“You should join,” her classmates prodded. The enrollment deadline was long past for the current session, but when the next season rolled around, Sabeel hadn’t forgotten about Girls on the Run. Her bus buddies had been keeping her up to date, pulling her in to share details about each practice and lesson—from learning about inclusivity to winning relays in the park.
Sabeel went to her first practice the next session, not quite sure how to fit in—or even how to understand her own feelings. With each footstep pounding the pavement and each group huddle with her coach, she learned how to be proud of standing out. She learned to accept others’ differences and to cope with hard feelings.
Sabeel told Girls on the Run recently, “To this day, there are times when I’m upset, and I remember what my coach told us.”
“All emotions are acceptable, girls. Remember that,” Sabeel’s coach had said. “Challenging feelings aren’t bad; they’re just a part of life. We should allow ourselves to feel them!”
Sabeel took these words to heart. Each day, she boarded the bus with a little more confidence. She discovered her values—including kindness, approachability, and leadership—and held fast to them, growing into both a friend and a mentor. Before long, she became one of the gals on the school bus sharing stories from her GOTR practice, hoping that a new face would join her in the next session.
“Your presence alone is enough to be accepted,” she told them, just as the other girls had once told her. “Come join!” she’d repeat encouragingly. Sabeel will never forget how Girls on the Run welcomed her. Now, she walks through the world with the life skills she learned years ago—and she’s the one offering advice, paying it forward one girl at a time.
Sabeel carries those values with her today. She even chose her engineering internship based on them—where she is now working hard to gain experience in construction project management. With one semester left at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Sabeel is on track to earn her degree in civil engineering and reach her goal of becoming a full-time construction project manager.
We’re thrilled to celebrate such a successful young woman. Girls on the Run is formative not only in childhood but for years afterward—the lessons learned are carried long after participants finish their first 5K. Here’s to 20 years of Girls on the Run, and to 20 more years of stories like this one.
