Skirt Sports Blog

One year ago, I was standing at the starting line of our Skirt Chaser 5k race in Denver. I was taking it all in. The Skirts. The crowd. The nervous anticipation that occurs just before a race. The countdown began and we were off!

When I run, my mind does all sorts of crazy things. This time I reflected. Among the sea of Skirts, I reflected on everything that it took to get this far. My mind wandered to a talk I once heard by Mary Wittenberg, CEO of the New York Road Runners and huge advocate for women's running. She said, "We are in a very powerful position, because virtually every person on the street is a potential customer of 'Running'." I spent the next six months obsessing over this statement and seeking ways that I could help women discover running.

It finally hit me. The women we need to reach are not the women we are already serving. You lovely and gorgeous women have already discovered how your lives can be improved through exercise. (Don't worry - we'll continue to bring you fun and inspiration - read on!). The women who really need us are those with barriers to fitness.

In June 2010, we launched a new Skirt Sports outreach program called Kick Start. Our goal was to empower a group of women who otherwise couldn't or wouldn't do a 5k due to personal barriers to fitness. The women who applied suffered from health issues, depression, loss in their lives, weight concerns, low self-esteem and more. Their universal need was that they didn't know how to get started. They needed a little Kick Start!

Each participant was given a 6 week training plan (to walk or run a 5k), a Skirt Sports outfit, an entry to the Skirt Chaser 5k and the best part... Each athlete was assigned a Personal Motivator. We reached out to friends and family, asking if anyone would like to be a guide/mentor/sounding board/counselor for the Kick Start program. The response was overwhelming!

It was so simple, so obvious. Women want to help other women. When we stumble across something that has changed our lives, we want to help other women find that same power.

Saturday night, I was so proud to watch our inaugural Team Kick Start cross the finish line of the Denver Skirt Chaser 5k. Each woman was a different person than just six weeks earlier. We did all of this through the Sisterhood we have built.

The underlying beauty is that at some point along the way, the tables turned. Team Kick Start became my inspiration too.

So here's my challenge to you:
Think about someone in your life who is stumbling. A friend asked me, "Does laziness count as a barrier to fitness?" We both started laughing, but then I realized that, yes, in a way, laziness counts. It can be a symptom of a greater barrier like fear or lack of confidence.

Sometimes all we need is someone to believe that we can do it.