Every Girl belongs At The Finish Line

The Girl in the Blue Cast

Imagine being eight weeks into your BIO Girls season and breaking your ankle.

The 5K finale suddenly feels out of reach. You're in a bright blue cast. You have weeks of recovery ahead of you. The best you can hope for is cheering from the sidelines, maybe hanging out at the finish line with your mom, who also happens to be your Site Director.

That's exactly where Piper found herself this fall in Bismarck. Eight weeks in. Broken ankle. A race she had been working toward all season.

But Piper had something that changed the whole story. She had a mentor who was determined to make sure she got to run.

A Plan at the Finish Line

Piper's mom, Jen, serves as Site Director for BIO Girls Bismarck - YMCA.

"Piper and I were planning for her to stay with me at the finish line and hand out medals to the BIO Girls as they crossed," Jen shared.

It was a good plan. Piper would still be part of the celebration. But her mentor, Kayla Muth, had a different idea.

A Mentor with a Running Stroller

Kayla, a first-year BIO Girls mentor, asked if she could push Piper in a running stroller so she could take part in the race. Over the season, Piper and Kayla had built a real bond, and this way they could complete what they started.

On race day, Kayla showed up with her own running stroller and pushed Piper the entire 5K. Other BIO Girls in their group jumped in to help along the way. The whole crew laughed, cheered, and had a blast from start to finish.

And they crossed the finish line together.

For Kayla, there was never a doubt.

"Being Piper's mentor this year was so special, and I was so happy we could find a way for her to participate in the 5K," she said. "As a mom, I would do anything for my kids, and throughout BIO Girls, I truly came to see these girls as part of my family. There was never a question that I would do whatever I could to make sure Piper got to cross that finish line. It was such an honor to be able to do that for her and Jen."

Everyone gets to finish.

Kayla and Piper - ready to go for their 5K Finale in Bismarck.

Two Hats, One Grateful Heart

During the season, Jen wears two hats: Site Director and mom. Sometimes those roles pull her in different directions. On race day, they lined up perfectly.

"As site director, I was so happy that Kayla came up with a solution so that one of her girls could participate," Jen said. "As a mom, I was beyond grateful to Kayla. She was an amazing mentor this year (her first year!) and just her wanting to make sure all 'her girls' could participate meant the world to me."

Every Girl Belongs at the Finish Line

Kayla's idea did more than get one girl through one race. It gave Jen a new tool for every season ahead.

"If any of the girls sign up and something happens, like a broken ankle or other injury, that may prevent a girl from participating in the finale, I now have a solution in my back pocket," Jen said. "We want all the girls to be able to participate and have fun in the finale!"

That's what BIO Girls is all about. Belonging doesn't depend on being at full speed. It shows up in a mentor who brings a stroller, in teammates who take turns pushing, and in a girl in a blue cast who gets to cross the finish line with the people who believe in her.

Watching the girls grow all season long, Kayla summed it up best: "It was such a rewarding experience, and I'm so grateful I got to be a part of it!"