Girls on the Run

Biking, yoga and competitive swimming are just a few of the things Elizabeth Nowak does in her free time.

But it's her involvement with Girls on the Run of the Triangle (GOTR) that earned her the 2007 Duke University Employee Service Award.

GOTR is an after-school program for girls ages 8-12 that meets twice weekly for 12 weeks during the spring and fall. Activities include games and running workouts that teach important life skills such as teamwork, healthy decision-making and goal-setting, At the end of the program, the girls participate in a 5K (3.1-mile) run/walk as a final challenge for the season.

Nowak, assistant vice president of managed care at the Duke University Health System, said she knew right away that GOTR was the perfect volunteer job for her.

"It is very fun and rewarding because I immediately experienced the positive impact I could make on the lives of these girls the first day I was there," said Nowak, who joined GOTR in January 2002.

Nowak, originally from Iowa, has been a competitive athlete ever since her parents signed her up for the swim team when she was 12. "It was more of a social thing that developed into a talent and eventually a swimming scholarship to Iowa State University," she said.

These days, Nowak competes in national and international triathlons and masters swimming events.

"I enjoy athletics because it not only helps to relieve stress, but it allows me to have fun with people from all walks of life. I wouldn't have it any other way," she said.

Nowak heard about GOTR from a friend and knew she couldn't pass on an opportunity to help girls use the power of athletics to reach their goals.

Nowak contacted Mandy Beard, who founded the GOTR Triangle chapter in 2000, and within a week she was a GOTR coach at the Lakewood YMCA in Durham.

Since 2002, Nowak has been a coach. For the past four years, she also has been a GOTR board member and the race director for the annual Girls on the Run 5K & Fun Run.

For Nowak, the time commitment is two hours a week plus additional prep time for the classes, monthly board meetings, and planning and executing the GOTR 5K race in the spring. Then there are the special requests, like the time a girl couldn't participate in GOTR one semester because of a scheduling conflict but still wanted to run in the race. Nowak offered to be her "running buddy" every weekend so she could take part in the race.

Nowak was nominated for the service award by GOTR Executive Director Kelly Hurter and Program Coordinator Sandy Lantry Corpora.

"Elizabeth has dedicated a lot of time and energy over the last five years and we thought that nominating her for the award would be a great honor for her," Hurter said. "She has given GOTR anywhere from 5-15 hours a month over the past five years, and I wish I could find 10 more people like her."

When it comes to finding the time for work, friends and volunteering, Nowak said it's all about time management.

"If there is a will, one can figure out how to fit it all in," she said.

The Duke University Employee Service Award is presented by the Community Service Center and the Office of Community Affairs to an employee who provides outstanding volunteer service to the Durham community.

The employee is nominated by a community non-profit agency or public school, and the agency or school that nominates the award recipient is given a $250 contribution by the Office of Community Affairs.

For more information on the Triangle Girls on the Run program, click here.