About Girls Who Lead…
Led by Co-facilitators, Jamie McElgunn (GLOW and HIGH FIVE Sport certified, Leadership and Communication Coach and Speaker) and Katie Doerksen (Trainer, Educator, HIGH FIVE Sport Certified, P&PA Coach and Physical Literacy Coach at GWL), Girls Who Lead is a program developed to Build Confidence in Leadership & Movement.
According to the Rally Report (Canadian Women in Sport, 2022), 40-50% of young girls are discontinuing participation in organized sport or activity by age 11. On the other hand, most women in high level career positions attribute their success in leadership and communication skills to their time spent in sport/organized activity as youth. (Ernst & Young, Women in Sport)
Girls Who Lead is our response to a need in our communities - where we see young girls pulling away from movement opportunities due to a lack of confidence. In pairing leadership and communication skills with physical activity, we hope to meet a growing need and to create a safe, inclusive space for our girls to confidently challenge themselves, while feeling supported and encouraged.
A central piece to our Girls Who Lead programming is the inclusion and encouragement of peer mentorship. This is implemented through the inclusion of Junior Coaches (girls slightly older than the participants) at each class. Our participants greatly benefit from having Junior Coaches lead by example, role model behaviours and work directly alongside. Youth learn best from their peers, and having Junior Coaches proves to be instrumental to our participant's willingness to persevere and participate. GWL facilitators work directly with the Junior Coaches to teach and support as they take on greater responsibility over the session.
Offering a mix of summer camp options, 5-8 week sessions, team workshops and school-based packages, Girls Who Lead is built to meet girls where they are at, and encourage progress in leadership and movement.
Topics can include: leadership, communication, body image, gratitude, goal setting and celebrating who you are, while movement opportunities can include: fundamental movement patterns through learning to fall, strength training, sport skills development, playground games, archery, etc.
Our mission is to give girls a chance to try something new so they can confidently join in when future opportunities arise!
Girls Who Run Spring 2026 Session Info below!
Girls Who Run: Learn to Run/Strength Train!
A leadership & movement program for Girls & their Moms/Female Caregivers
Registration for Girls Who Run is open!
We’re back to build confidence in leadership & movement through challenge, communication and connection!
Girls Who Run is designed to build confidence in leadership & movement, and what better way to develop these characteristics than to practice them with peers and our greatest cheerleaders alongside? Girls Who Run is one of our favorite sessions as we welcome girls and their Moms/female caregivers to learn to run/strength train and face challenges together.
We teach running skills, recovery and how to listen to your body, while also focusing on the ‘team’ aspects of running: setting goals, encouraging teammates, building confidence & more!
Not a runner? No worries! This is a go-at-your-own-pace kind of session. Walking is always welcome.
Come join us for Girls Who Run! Six weeks of programming where we learn the ins and outs of setting goals, working as a team and moving through challenge! We start April 23rd-May 28th, from 5:15-6:30pm at the Duchess School outdoor track. In case of inclement weather, we stay in touch and move indoors to Duchess Rec! We celebrate the end of our session by taking our new skills to the Drumheller Women’s 5km Run/Walk on May 31st!*
*Girls Who Run registration fee includes:
Program & workbook for you and your girl(s)
WhatsApp group check-ins and support
Race entry fee to the Drumheller Women’s Race (May 31, 2026) - registration code shared upon GWR registration
A piece of signature Girls Who Lead swag!
Virtual Session Option! Can’t make Thursdays work, or live too far to join us weekly? Join Girls Who Run virtually - you’ll receive a workbook pdf, weekly check ins and the opportunity to join us on race day!
We can’t wait to run this program again in our home community (and virtually!) and make it better than ever!
Follow the link below to register for our Spring 2026 session and learn to run, strength train, set goals, and move through challenge together with your girls at Girls Who Run!
*NEW Referral Program:
If you are a past participant of Girls Who Lead and share our programs with friends, we are excited to thank you with a small gift from us when your friends sign up!
We’ll get a GWL exclusive gym bag to you, and you can look forward to 10% off your registration fee for next session (Fall 2026).
We appreciate our friends and community encouragement of our programs so much, and are excited to thank you for sharing the impact and opportunity!
GWL Swag!
Can’t make a session but still want to snag a tee or trucker hat?!
We have a few available for purchase!
$25/Tshirt
$35/hat (pink or charcoal available)
Email us at: girlswholeadprograms@gmail.com to order and check available sizes!
**Shipping costs not included, pick up preferred.
Girls Who Lead WEBINAR
Want to help girls in your community to "build confidence in leadership & movement?"
Join us for a tell-all webinar on Girls Who Lead, learn how to implement our programs within your community and have your questions answered along with options to purchase our resources so you can set Girls Who Lead in motion to build confidence & leadership in YOUR COMMUNITY!
*Missed the LIVE webinar but still want info on Girls Who Lead? Purchase the recording on our website store, get all the details, and reach out to purchase our programs to set in action in your community!
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Jamie McElgunn
GWL Facilitator, GLOW Certified, HIGH FIVE Sport Certified, Leadership Coach and Speaker
Jamie is a Mom of two, a runner, nurse and the one we count on to keep organized at Girls Who Lead! She is passionate about teaching girls to lead others and develop great communication skills.
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Katie Doerksen
GWL Facilitator, Trainer, Educator, HIGH FIVE Sport Certified, Physical Literacy Coach & Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism Certified
Katie is a Mom to three girls and loves to run, strength train and teach girls how to appreciate their own body- and to build confidence for a lifetime of movement.