Nashville Girls Who Walk forms a Wings for Life World Run team

When the opportunity came around for the Nashville Girls Who Walk members to form a Wings for Life World Run team, there was only one answer – absolutely. An organization that focuses on three pillars – community, fitness, and safety – for women in and around the greater Nashville area, it’s the perfect pairing of worlds. The importance of creating these types of groups is becoming more and more important in today’s society, and with the power of social media in the hands of those who know how to use it for good, the chance for growth continues to expand.

Sarah Larson found her inspiration to form the group from a Dallas walking club she found on TikTok and thought to herself “If I feel there’s a need for this here, I’m sure other people think the same thing and just haven’t acted on it yet.”

“I needed an escape from the four walls of my home office, where I work remotely, and I wanted to meet new people and create a safe place where women can get together and build their community,” Sarah explains. “In today’s world, it is the unfortunate truth that there are often more unsafe than safe options for women and girls to exercise outdoors alone. The hope for this organization is to give those opportunities to not only form friendships, but keep each other safe.”

So she put the word out about the first walking meet-up, not expecting much, and almost 20 women showed up! With a background in digital marketing, Sarah used her knowledge of the social media world to build a platform that has, in just two short years, reached an audience of 10,000 and regularly has 70+ participants at each of the regularly occurring events. The goal is to have enough walks throughout the month, on varying days, that everyone has an opportunity to participate regardless of schedules. The group uses the app Discord where members can join to contact and communicate with other members who might want to meet up outside of official events. They also make it a point to try out new parks or trails when they’re able – but sometimes having 60-70 women all walking in a group limits their options (not a bad problem to have). She says that “Centennial Park and Radnor Park tend to be some regular favorite locations.”

One of her favorite parts is seeing some of the friendships that have formed between ladies, including “spending holidays, finding new roommates, even trips to Paris to see Taylor Swift together!” The group has become so much more than just meeting up for walks – expanding into happy hours, supporting local businesses through various events, along with participating in and highlighting a new charity event each month on their platform as part of the giving back initiative. “We’ve done coat drives and food drives for local shelters – a big thing for us is supporting local entities.”

I wanted to make sure we were using our platform for good in as many ways as possible.

Back in college, Sarah says that she had a mutual friend with a family member very involved with Wings for Life and directly impacted by a spinal cord injury. “I remember talking with him about it and how much he was involved, so when the idea of participating was brought up it was an immediate yes.” His story left a lasting impact, and Sarah thought it was the perfect opportunity to highlight the cause for their May charity spotlight after learning the run takes place on May 5th. “I wanted to make sure we were using our platform for good in as many ways as possible, and thought it was a great opportunity to help spread the word that this exists.” She went on to say “A lot of people know about Red Bull, but not everyone understands how much the brand is involved in giving back through things like Wings for Life.” With an event like the Wings for Life World Run, it was a perfect fit for the group to form their own team and encourage participation in an event that perfectly aligns with the groups’ goals, along with helping to make an impact on an event with a great cause.

Nashville Girls Who Walk has a lot of plans for the upcoming months – including the start and growth of a new Ambassador program, launching a book club as an extension of the group, and adding more and more official walks and other events to help foster a community for anyone looking for their “tribe.”

All of the leaders of the various walking clubs across the entire globe are also in a GroupMe where they share encouragement, ideas, successes, and overall support for each other. “The biggest goal is to keep them coming back,” Sarah says about the members. “And if you feel there’s a need in your area, remember all you need is YOUR need. Start with an Instagram and try to get connected with people - have your first walk and just see how it goes!” Continuing to show support for each other and building our communities is what will continue to help us grow individually in fitness and support organizations that give back.

There is always a need for these opportunities for women to meet up and feel safe, supported, and encouraged, especially in larger metropolitan areas. So if it feels like something you want to get involved with, do a search in your area and see what comes up! If you’re in the Nashville area, be sure to give @NashvilleGirlsWhoWalk a follow on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, and join for the next walking event! Children and dogs are always welcome on the walks, too. 

Whether you’re interested in participating with a group like this or if you just want a way to stay active and give back, be sure to register to participate in the 2024 Wings for Life World Run on May 5th. One-hundred percent of your entry fees go directly to fund scientific research projects that aim to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. Sign up at https://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en.