By Joan Harrold, Girl Scouts - Mile Hi Council

For Kelley Robinson, Samantha Lewis and Sara Gillette, the Girl Scouts 5K & 1K Walk/Run is more than just an annual event. The race, which took place on Oct. 22in Washington Park, attracted more than 3,000 participants this year; but for these three Girl Scouts, there was even more to celebrate.

At only 12 years old, Kelley, Samantha and Sara all placed within the top five female finishers of the 5K out of nearly 2000 women. They also comprised the top three slots in their age category: 12 to14. Kelley was the first female to finish the race with a time of 19:46.

"I realized part way through the race that I was the first woman; I was so surprised! But I thought it was really cool," Kelley said.

Kelley's mom, Sabrina Robinson, shared the sentiment, "Kelley has great motivation and is in great shape; but, I didn't know she could run that fast!"

Motivation seems to be a common factor among these three sprinting sisters. But that shouldn't be so surprising considering they're all Girl Scouts. During the second year Sara ran the 5K, her dad became too tired to finish. Sara accepted this as a challenge and finished the race on her own. Samantha, who has been one of Mile Hi Council's top cookie sellers for the past few years, has an inner drive that she lends to all areas of her life, according to mom, Jean Lewis.

"She probably puts four times the amount of energy into her work that anyone else does just to make it great, and it's the same thing with running," said Jean.

Not only do the girls have inner motivation, but through each other they also have external motivation. "Fast runners like Kelley and Sara help me to do my best," said Samantha. "It is awesome having girls that are my age to motivate me." Samantha and Sara met at the 5K last year and have since become good friends, chatting on the phone and spending time together.

Although all three girls were ecstatic with placing so well in the 5K, their primary excitement lay within improving themselves. "In most of the races that I run, I'll think about getting first place; but the time that I get is more important," said Samantha. "As long as I'm improving myself, I'm always winning."

Kelley and Sara agreed. "It's more important to beat your personal time than to win the race. There's always going to be someone faster than you," said Sara.

Some of the girls' favorite things about the event exist completely away from their own performance, speaking to the character behind these young ladies. "This is one of my favorite Girl Scout events because of the activities afterwards, the prizes and how people come together and have fun even though they don't know each other," said Samantha. "I also really like seeing my troop out there jogging. They all set goals for themselves to run the entire way and felt good when they finished the race."

Goal setting and completion are some of the primary benefits of the event for participants, as well as key Girl Scout values. All three girls recognized this as important. "Doing the 5K is a great way to make goals for yourself and learn how to do that. Goals are a big part of your life," said Samantha. "If you go through life without goals - what kind of life would that be?"

"I'm already thinking about my goals for next year," said Kelley. "I know that I'll be there and do my best."

The 5K & 1K Walk/Run is a testament to the Girl Scouts dedication to helping all girls start a lifetime of healthy habits at a young age and getting families and friends to move together. For Kelley, Samantha and Sara, healthy living is a huge part of the 5K, of their families and of their lives.

"When you're out at the 5K early in the morning running or jogging or walking, you're not in front of the TV - you're having fun while getting exercise," said Samantha. "Exercising is definitely one of the focuses of my family; it is a time we like to spend together because we're so busy."

Kelley, whose mom, Sabrina, placed third among the female participants, thinks of exercising and the 5K as a family affair, too. "It's really great to do a race with my mom," she said. "It's a special time and race that we share together."

For Kelley, running and family exercise extend way beyond the 5K. Kelley's parents, Sabrina and Ken, who first met on a local track while training for separate races, both coach Kelley's middle school cross country team.

"It's great to have my parents as coaches," she said. "They're always there to see me and give me encouragement."

Sara's family makes sure to encourage Sara's interest in running and exercise, too. Her dad and sister ran in the race, and her mom, Elaine, cheered them all on from the finish line. "It's important to us that the kids exercise and have fun while doing it," she said.

According to Kelley, Samantha and Sara, one of the great things about the event is that it's held by the Girl Scouts. "When I can do something to support the Girl Scouts, it's all good," said Samantha.

Kelley's mom, Sabrina, says Kelley is really "a Girl Scout at heart."

"She likes to see other girls succeed and do their best," said Sabrina. "Kelley makes decisions based on whether she feels that something is worthwhile to her, and that is why she has chosen to stay active in Girl Scouts."

To the benefit of Mile Hi Council, the 5K event and their troops, all three girls plan to stay active in Girl Scouts for a long time to come.

Kelley Robinson is part of Troop 1851 of Nederland. Samantha Lewis, of Boulder, is a member of Troop 1609. Sara Gillette, a member of Troop 123, hails from Evergreen.