One Hill of a Run
Feet hitting the asphalt, rushes of adrenaline, the emotional fulfilment of crossing the finish line; these are just a few of the many reasons why people love to run. The Girls Running Club of MGCI, founded by Ms. Hermanovsky, aims to provide this experience to female students at Garneau in an inclusive and competition-free environment.
Two years ago, Ms. Hermanovsky noticed that amidst all the clubs and teams at Garneau, none promoted recreational exercise or offered exercise that was free of judgement, competition, or marks.
“Without competition, it is a good way to show girls that it is possible to exercise for fun. Not for school, marks or anything, just for fun,” said Ms. Hermanovsky. Many of the members of the club are beginners, just learning to love running, and starting to feel a passion for exercise. Others however, are veterans who have ran for years, and are committed to improving their fitness.
The club meets after school on Day 2’s, Monday to Thursday, in front of Room 321. All members walk, stretch, and warm up in front of the school before beginning their run. Afterwards, they take a route through the trails in the valley near the school, running around 4 km in total. Usually, they run as a group and make sure to cheer everyone on while they run.
Together, the club trains for the Sporting Life 10 km Run. This event pushes the girls to work harder, and helps keep them on track to improving themselves as much as they can.
For the future, Ms. Hermanovsky wants to increase the number of club members. Ultimately, she hopes to change the definition of exercise for girls at Marc Garneau.
