Before the sun fully rises, 15 Freeman Elementary School students begin lacing their shoes in pursuit of a fitness goal and healthy lifestyle. The campus’ new run club can be seen pounding pavement every Tuesday and Thursday morning, along with P.E. teacher Christi Shannon.
“When Coach Shannon approached me with the idea of having fitness activities for our students, staff and community, I never thought we would be entering a group of students into a 5K,” said Principal Kelly Garcia.
“I wanted to start something fun and affordable that students could participate in by just showing up,” added Shannon. “I believe if you make something fun, children will continue doing whatever they are doing. We are creating healthy habits.”
Training for this month’s Jingle Bell Run, Shannon starts practice at 6:45 a.m., leading students on a path from Freeman through the surrounding neighborhood and back to campus before school starts. Despite the early morning hour, run club members rarely miss a meeting.
“The dedication of our students, parents and Coach Shannon has been truly amazing,” commented Garcia. “For them to show this type of weekly dedication is inspiring and will hopefully lead to healthy bodies and strong minds.”
Training kicked off Sept. 14, and each week, the course inches closer to 3.1 miles. Several runners have already hit that mark by pushing past charted paths. The rest of the group plans to reach the 5k goal before race day.
On Dec. 5, medals will not be the only prize won. Students will receive a sense of accomplishment and perhaps an active hobby as well.
“I like running because I want to stay fit,” said one rub club member. “On Saturday, I am looking forward to seeing all the people running. My mom, dad and big sister will be running this race with me. Well, I think they are going to walk.”
The finish line will not be the end of Freeman’s new club either. Shannon hopes to register for more races this spring.
“We plan to take a field trip to White Rock Lake and also participate in a 10K and 15K run,” she explained. “My long-term goal is for the Freeman Elementary Running Club to host its own events to help get the community active. The students have been an inspiration to me, and I love seeing how excited they are about running.”
Information and photo provided by Garland ISD.