WHO WE ARE
Our mission is to encourage youth to use trail running as a fun way to stay fit for life. We foster lifelong connections to nature and community through running, outdoor exploration and community service.
WHAT WE DO
We make running fun! We clamber over trees and rocks, play games, explore beaches and forests, laugh at the rain, make friends, build and clean up trails, challenge ourselves and get dirty!
- TRANSPORT RUNNERS TO AND FROM THE TRAIL - Runners are picked up at their elementary schools and driven to various trails. Half the fun is riding in the YMCA Van with new friends!
- NON-COMPETITIVE ADVENTURE RUNS - Throughout our adventure trail runs kids will cover 2 – 3 miles, running uphill, downhill, jumping over fallen trees and ducking under branches! Awesome coaches run with groups of 4-6 kids to ensure safety, proper trail etiquette and FUN! The focus is on doing one’s personal best, not competing with each other.
- SERVICE PROJECTS- We work with Whatcom County Parks and Recreation to provide helping hands in caring for trails and restoration areas, spreading mulch, removing invasive weeds, etc. Service projects are meant to help Trail Blazers discover an appreciation of the beautiful trails and to expand their awareness of ways they can make a difference in their community.
- BOOSTING CONFIDENCE BY COMPLETING A 5K- Twice per year Trail Blazers have the opportunity to train for and complete the Girls on the Run 5K. This will help runners realize their innate ability to accomplish hard things, as well as what it feels like to set and achieve a goal. We encourage each runner to focus on performing at their personal best and not competing with the others around them.
OUR CORE VALUES
- Structure sessions from a non-competitive approach
- Runners are encouraged to move at their own pace while challenging themselves to improve throughout the session
- Instill a “Leave no trace” mind set
- Provide an all-inclusive approach
- Inspire an ethic of service to the community