Girls on the Run

"Mary T" Callahan, Executive Director, Girls on the Run
Greater Houston
In 2001 Mary T brought the then 4-years old national
organization, Girls on the Run, to Houston because she saw a
need. Having been raised with 5 older brothers and surrounded
by athletics, Mary T saw the power she got from running as she
grew up. She found that when you feel strong in your body, you
feel strong in your thoughts, and actions, in your life. Also, the
mother of three girls, she saw how her beautiful, smart girls
would go into the “girl box”, the place where they don’t feel
smart or beautiful, around sixth grade, and thought this program
would give girls the skill set to avoid entering the girl box. For 10
years, Mary T attempted to grow the organization part-time with
full support of her family, friends and a fledgling board while
working at _Town and Country Pediatrics, raising children, and
nursing her ill mother. After finally making the decision to devote
herself to GOTR full-time, the organization has experienced
exponential growth, growing from 100 girls in 2001 to 2000 girls
pre covid-19, impacting over 17,000 Houston-area elementary
and middle school girls since 2001.