Beyond What the Camera Can Capture

After photographing the Girls on the Run for the past 15 years, I've learned that there is so much more to this event than what it looks like.

It looks like young girls and their running buddies, dressing up and glitter and tutus. It looks hard. It looks fun. But my cameras can't capture what this event really means.

I asked Kelly Teeselink, Girls on the Run of Northern Arizona council director, what my photograph couldn't capture.

"What images cannot capture about this event is that energy that you can feel," she explains after the 2024 Girls on the Run 5K on Nov. 2, 2024, at Buffalo Park in Flagstaff, Arizona.

"You do a great job capturing what the moment looked like, but you can just feel the confidence in the girls when they're crossing the finish line," Teeselink said.

"You see that in the pictures, and you can visualize it, but when you're standing at the finish line, you can actually feel that the only thing these girls care about, at this moment, is that they just completed a huge goal."

The Journey Behind the Finish Line

The 5K at Buffalo Park represents the final steps of a transformative 10-week journey.

"Our girls have been training and gathering together for the last 10 weeks to not only train for a 5K but to learn many life skills that we know will help them at this age and beyond," Teeselink said.

Teams from across Northern Arizona – Flagstaff, the Navajo Nation, Williams, and Winslow – come together to celebrate this achievement. But what looks like a simple running event is actually a launching pad for something much greater.

Beyond the Glitter and Tutus

"We truly want these girls to be confident in who they are, what their bodies can do, and really celebrate what makes them unique," Teeselink explains. "I hope that girls bottle up that feeling that they felt while crossing that finish line and take that to everything else that they do in their lives."

The program deliberately keeps teams small, 10 to 15 girls each, creating an environment where deeper connections can form.

"It's really not about running. It's about finding your happy pace," Teeselink said. "You're gonna make friends, you're gonna build connections, you're gonna play games, and you're gonna learn really important life skills that we know are gonna help you not only at Girls on the Run but at home, at school and beyond."

The Invisible Victory

While my camera captures high-fives and finish-line celebrations, Teeselink sees the deeper transformation.

"I want them to remember all of the moments they had at Girls on the Run over the last 10 weeks. All the lessons they learned about being confident in themselves, how to recognize negative self-talk and turn it into positive self-talk, how to choose friends that make you feel good about yourself."

Having dedicated 12 years to the program, Teeselink has witnessed countless unseen victories.

"I've seen so many changes in many of these girls. I heard from the parents about their confidence building over the 10-week season," she said.

"We hope this is a launch for them - that they can do really hard things. They said they were gonna do this, and they did it – with their own two feet and with a ton of people supporting them along the way."

As another successful event at Buffalo Park concludes, I understand more deeply why my cameras can never tell the whole story. The real triumph isn't in the recorded moments of crossing the finish line – it's in the invisible transformation of young girls into confident individuals who know they can accomplish whatever they set their minds to do.

Volunteer and change lives

While the girls are the stars of the 5K, the program's success depends on dedicated volunteers who make the magic happen behind the scenes. And here's the surprising part – you don't need to be a runner, a coach, or even have a daughter in the program to make a difference.

"Our Girls on the Run coaches are the ones who make the magic happen," Teeselink said.. "You do not have to be a woman, you do not have to be a runner, you don't have to have any experience with coaching."

The word "coach" might seem intimidating, but Teeselink quickly dispels that concern.

"I think the word coach kind of throws people off a little bit, but really what we are looking for are mentors and people who care about the next generation of women and giving them the tools to feel confident in who they are."

The program provides comprehensive training for volunteers, ensuring they have everything needed to succeed. "We give you all the things that you need to be a successful Girls on the Run coach," Teeselink explains

"We just need you to show up and ready to empower some girls' lives."

Teeselink's own journey with Girls on the Run demonstrates the profound impact volunteering can have – not just on the girls, but on the volunteers themselves.

"I started off as a coach and was lucky enough to make it a job," she shares. "I got to turn a volunteer position and something I was passionate about into a job. I got to be part of something... and I certainly do not take it for granted."

For those interested in making a difference in young girls' lives while being part of something bigger than themselves, Girls on the Run of Northern Arizona is actively seeking volunteer coaches for their next season. The commitment helps shape the next generation of confident, empowered young women – one practice, one lesson, and one 5K at a time.