Molly Barker, MSW and four-time Hawaii Ironman triathlete founded Girls on the Run® in 1996. Combining her counseling and teaching expertise with research on adolescent issues, Molly founded Girls on the Run with a mission to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. The aim is to create a social movement that will promote positive, healthy images of girls and women; support the development of healthy, resilient girls; ensure that girls and women have the opportunity to develop and express themselves; and enable girls and women to reach their highest potential. The programme combines an interactive curriculum with running to inspire self-respect and healthy lifestyles in pre-teen girls. Girls on the Run International creates and supports Girls on the Run Councils in communities that wish to bring the program to their girls.
Molly lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and enjoys running, cycling and writing. Since creating Girls on the Run, she has authored two books, ‘Girls on Track: A Parent's Guide to Inspiring our Daughters to Achieve a Lifetime of Self-Esteem and Respect’, and ‘Girls Lit From Within’. She is passionate about her work but is most inspired by her two children.
