I got to help coach at Camp GOTR last week. Well, I say coach, but let’s be honest... Coach Kelsey, Coach Kayla, and Jr. Coach Marley were holding it down like pros, with some well timed help from “Assistant Abby”. I mostly kept the snacks flowing, kept the art supplies well stocked, and was the bringer of popsicles. Virginia in July? It’s basically a sauna with mosquitoes, and I’m apparently their favorite snack. The back of my left leg? A war zone.

CampGOTR is one of my favorite things we do. It’s packed with laughter, glue, sunscreen, and just the right amount of chaos to keep things interesting. The girls jumped into our “Girls Have Power” curriculum with full hearts, without even realizing how much they were learning. They were too busy making crafts, running relays, and perfecting their Sneaky Frog skills.

Now, Sneaky Frog is supposed to be a low-key circle game where one girl plays detective and the “frog” secretly sticks out her tongue to “sneak attack” others. Sounds peaceful, right? Not with this crew. By round three we had full dramatic performances, girls fake-fainting, whisper shouting, and accusing each other like it was a courtroom showdown. I am sure we will see at least one of these girls receiving an Oscar award in the future.

But right in the middle of all that silliness, we had one of those moments that stops you in your tracks.

During ourE motions Thermometer lesson, one of our girls who is on the autism spectrum became agitated. The energy in the pavilion was high and everything started to feel overwhelming for her. You could see it building. Before any of us adults could step in, one of her teammates calmly turned to her and said, “Hey, want to write the next emotion on the thermometer?” That simple invitation, genuine, respectful, and kind, changed everything. Her breathing slowed, her body relaxed, and she walked over and picked up the marker. No big speech. No fuss. Just one girl reaching out to another in a moment of need. That’s the kind of leadership we don’t always teach but we witness when we create the space for it. And in that moment, a little girl led us all.

That’s the real magic of Girls on the Run.

Later that day, during our teamwork marble challenge, another girl got frustrated and threw her hands up saying, “This is impossible. We can’t do this!” But before I could even move, her teammate looked her in the eye and said, “It’s not impossible. We just haven’t done it yet.” That one little sentence shifted the whole energy. She took a deep breath, got back in the game, and sure enough, they nailed it.

That moment became the theme of our whole week. From “impossible” to “I’m possible.” And honestly, that’s not just the theme of Camp. It’s the theme of my whole year. Path to Possibility isn’t just a campaign name for me. It’s a mindset. A reminder that to myself that hard things aren’t impossible, they’re just waiting for us to take the next step. And watching these girls discover that for themselves? That’s the kind of full circle magic that fills my cup.

Fittingly, the team name the girls chose for themselves was The Unstoppable Girls. And after watching them all week, how they lifted each other up, tried again when it got hard, and included each other with such intention, I couldn’t think of a more perfect name.

And yes, they were constantly hungry and very chatty. There were moments that they were peeling dried glue off their hands just to gross out Coach Kelsey. But in between the snack requests and the “googly eye” explosions, they were growing in ways that gave me goosebumps.

Girls on the Run has never just been about running. It’s about giving girls space to discover who they are, how strong they are, and what they’re capable of. It’s where they learn that hard doesn’t mean impossible. And that you don’t have to do the hard things alone.

So sure, I had the coach title last week. But mostly, I was the snack provider, craft protector, and a mosquito buffet. But I was honored to have a front row seat to something really special.

And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.