Bailea Pakkebier, a teacher and GOTR Coach at Hanawalt Elementary, went the extra mile - or, 26.2 miles - this year. Not only did Bailea help lead a GOTR team this Fall, but she also was training and fundraising for the Girls on the Run SoleMate team participating in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
Bailea was very successful in her fundraising - exceeding her goal of $1750.00! She drew in support from family and friends by including donors names on the tank top she wore during the race. "Got my race tank in the mail! Look at all the people that have my back (literally). I am so lucky!"
Not only was Bailea successful in her fundraising journey, but her marathon training paid off in a big way. "Crushed my previous PR today in the Chicago Marathon with a time of 5:06:39. So happy to have run with the Girls on the Run Team and to have so many family and friends support my fundraiser!"
Bailea shared experiences of her training on her Facebook page so friends and family could follow along her journey.
"Tonight, as a part of my marathon training plan, I was supposed to run a 7 mile “speed” run which consisted of a 4 mile warm up, a 1 mile speed run (a 5k like pace), and 2 mile cool down. My warm up wasn’t exactly going great. My legs were sore from my previous runs and my knees kept seizing. I had to stop and walk more than I would have liked. About halfway through my “speed” mile, a little girl and her mom were walking toward me on the path. The little girl pointed at me, looked at her mom, and said “wow, she’s really good”. I felt anything but good in the moment, but bless that little girls heart for giving me some extra encouragement and reminding me that the scale of greatness is really a matter of perception."
"I choose to run because I find it empowering for myself. I choose to coach Girls on the Run because I want to help young girls find this same sense of empowerment in themselves. I choose to fundraise for Girls on the Run as a part of my Chicago Marathon experience because I want more girls to be able to participate in this program free of cost. Part of my fundraising efforts goes straight to the Central Iowa Girls on the Run chapter, which serves the students that I coach."
Thank you, Bailea, for your dedication and support of Girls on the Run!
To learn more about Girls on the Run and our SoleMates program, visit https://www.gotrcentraliowa.org/solemates.