As a national sponsor of the Girls on the Run SoleMates charity runner program, Garmin is partnering with this great organization to further their mission and share the stories of the women and men who are “running for a reason”. Runners can sign up for any event — runs, walks, bike rides or triathlons — and raise funds that will support their chosen council of Girls on the Run. Want your next race to help change lives? Find out more here. Today’s story comes from Marsha, who coaches Girls on the Run in North Carolina and is a SoleMates fundraiser. Marsha tells how she’s gained new perspective and motivation for her own life through Girls on the Run.

 Girls on the Run and SoleMates were the catalysts to get me moving forward and in the right direction. It was a matter of life and death for me. With a family history of heart disease and diabetes, I didn’t have time to sit around and wait to get my life into gear. I had settled into a lazy lifestyle and doing “just enough” to get by in the self-care department. I was letting life pass me by and was not fully participating in the moments that matter the most. I desperately needed inspiration and motivation. All that changed when a friend asked me to help coach a new Girls on the Run team at our daughters’ school. I immediately said yes without considering my current physical and mental shape. Somehow, I had faith that GOTR would pull me out of the hole that I was in.

I found my spark after attending the coaches training and feeling the power that Girls on the Run has on the inner girl that we sometimes try to quiet by telling ourselves that we can’t do something. I felt empowered and ready to conquer the world and signed up to join SoleMates to help me set goals and take charge of my life while benefiting GOTR. Little did I know that it would only get better after our first GOTR season started. Every practice brings about a new awareness to my life and I feel a real connection with the lessons and the girls that I’m coaching. Girls on the Run and SoleMates have changed my life and I will continue to feel empowered and move forward through my journey in this life, fully participating in every moment. Thanks Girls on the Run and SoleMates!”