Today was our very first day of Camp GOTR, and it was fantastic.
I still remember the first time I heard about Camp GOTR at my very first Girls on the Run Summit. The Minneapolis council had piloted the very first Girls on the Run camp, and they shared their experience with more than 150 council leaders. I remember sitting in that room feeling completely inspired.
At that point, Girls on the Run in Memphis was still just a dream. Our founding group was finishing paperwork and filing to start our own council here in the Bluff City. We launched Girls on the Run in 2018, and since then, we have proudly hosted our school-year programs.
Still, Camp GOTR stayed tucked in the back of my mind.
At every strategic planning session, I would bring it up: “Could this be the year?” Each time, we carefully considered our bandwidth. We knew that if we were going to build it, we had to do it right.
It was not until we hired our second full-time employee, Program Manager Savannah Miller, that we were finally able to give it the green light. Last April, we put “launch Camp GOTR” in our budget and in our strategic plan for Summer 2026. Savannah’s hard work and determination were the secret sauce! To think that today we actually made it happen feels both joyful and a little miraculous.
There is that famous line from Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.” Well, here we are. We built it, and they came.
Our first Camp GOTR session launched at the MJCC this morning in partnership with Nike and Adams Keegan. What a joy it was to hand out Camp GOTR T-shirts and swag bags, surrounded by the most positive, calm, and loving group of coaches. The girls were adorable, spirited, kind, and full of energy. They even voted on their team name: the “GOTR Girls.”
Today’s lesson centered around making connections. The girls went through a team scavenger hunt, asking each other questions to discover what they had in common and what they could learn from one another. They played games about feeling connected and talked about compliment cards, which they will use each day to honor a teammate’s hard work, kindness, bravery, leadership, or wonderful spirit.
We also began our first creative workshop: affirmation boxes. Using paint, paper, stickers, and collage materials, the girls created boxes that reflect the best version of themselves and will fill them with positive, inspiring words throughout the week.
Today, I saw a long-held dream become real. I saw girls making new friends, coaches creating warmth and belonging, and our mission stretching into summer in the most beautiful way.
My heart is full of gratitude — for Savannah, our partners, our coaches, our families, and most of all, for the girls who showed up today with open hearts and bright spirits.
Camp GOTR is here. And what a wonderful beginning.
