Meet a leader making better health a walk in the park and this week’s Personality, Sharon Simmons Jennings: “If one lady says ‘I need to walk,’ then you can be assured that we meet her to walk.” “We walk each other through grief, sickness, pains from taking care of elderly parents and the pressures of life. “Each day someone needing to walk and talk comes along,” Ms. She also works to help them develop their walking abilities through fun and interesting locations that encourage participants to “go beyond what they thought they could do.” Jennings’ major focus is to present walking opportunities for women in need of a way to unwind and prioritize their well-being. GirlTrek members also participate as walkers in other local events, such as the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K, the annual Walk for Autism and the Richmond Marathon.Īs GirlTrek’s Virginia State Coach, Ms. There are several active chapters in Metro Richmond, as well as chapters in other Virginia locales.Īs a volunteer leader, Ms.Jennings leads walks in Richmond and elsewhere. She was so inspired, that she started the group in Richmond, which now has more than 800 members. Jennings first became involved with GirlTrek at the urging of her daughter, who was walking with GirlTrek while pursuing a law degree in Washington, D.C. “As you walk, you strengthen your mind, body and soul,” Ms. Jennings, who cites walking as a key benefit during her weight loss and battle with cancer. The physical and mental rewards of GirlTrek Richmond’s work are a big part of its appeal for Ms.
“We join together to enjoy fun, fellowship and fitness, whether it’s walking every Saturday, going to brunch or supporting our sisters through life events.” “GirlTrek is a truly a life-saving sisterhood,” Ms. The benefits are many, from improving personal health to inspiring daughters and reclaiming communities, according to organizers. Energized by that daily movement, the women talk, organize and shift to policy changes by mobilizing members to support advocacy efforts and bolster families and communities. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison, it has grown to more than 1 million members who commit to walking daily. Since the nonprofit began in Washington in 2010 with two friends, T. GirlTrek calls itself a “health revolution for Black women,” with walking becoming the pathway to self-care, healing and transforming Black lives. The Henrico resident founded the Richmond Chapter of GirlTrek in 2016, and in the years since, has worked to ensure a welcoming and motivating atmosphere for the group, its many members and the many walking trips they take throughout Richmond and elsewhere. For the last six years, Sharon Simmons Jennings has helped put pep in the step of women throughout Richmond.
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