“Girls on the Run has taught me to love myself and take care of myself.”
Meet Shabnam… and remember her name because one day, you might see her running a marathon or running for office. Shabnam is 12 years old and has been a part of Girls on the Run for four seasons. Shabnam moved to Colorado from Afghanistan and she is one of four kids at home. Her favorite subject is social studies and her favorite animal is a panda… “a regular panda, not a red panda.” Unlike a panda who likes to laze around and chomp on bamboo, Shabnam stays moving when she can. Girls on the Run taught her to love herself and take care of herself and she does that through staying active and being outside. Shabnam’s favorite part of practice is when the team gets to run in partners because one of her best friends is on the team. Maryam and Shabnam like to run together to keep each other motivated.
Like Maryam, Shabnam has plans to run a marathon in her future and she hopes to be a role model for her two younger siblings. When her family goes on walks in the evening, Shabnam challenges herself to run further and further each time – her older brother has even run in every 5K alongside her. But when she is not setting running goals, she is using the lessons from Girls on the Run to be the best friend, classmate, and sister she can be. “Girls can do anything. If every girl did Girls on the Run, they would have freedom to do and be whatever they wanted.”
Help more girls know that they have the potential to do and be whatever they want, just like Shabnam.