Paige King Teaches Hingham Girls to Run with Confidence

Where did you come up with the idea for Hingham Girls Running Club?

Last summer my internship was only three days a week and so I needed something to fill my time. When I was a kid I went to an all girls summer camp for 8 years and I just remembered how much fun I had and how much I still value that experience to this day. Sometimes I feel like kids today don’t value those experiences as much, so I wanted to create something that would have an impact on young girls and in turn would encourage them to influence others around them in a positive way.

What is the goal of the club?

The goal of this club is mainly to teach young girls the value of confidence, strength, empowerment and most importantly, supporting one another. Our team mantra is “stay true to yourself”-something my mother had always emphasized to me while growing up. It means to believe in yourself and all that you have to offer and not letting the negative energy that may surround you, bring you down. Something I’ve learned being a DI athlete is that theres always more fight in me than I think or want to believe; and so with this program, I just want every young girl to start learning early that it’s okay to test their limits and go out of the box to try something new. As long as they stay true to themselves and believe in their strength each and every one of them can move mountains and accomplish something amazing.

Why did you choose to focus on working towards the Hingham 4th of July Road Race?

I focus on the road race just because I think it helps the girls set some great goals for what they want to get out of the program. It’s only a 5 week program and having the road race to focus on brings good incentive to work hard for those goals.

What has been one inspiring moment from your time running the club?

Everyday with these girls is inspiring for me. I love to see the girls arrive the first day as strangers and leave as best friends. These young girls make it so easy for one another to become friends and encourage one another to achieve greatness. There’s not enough of that in this world today and I truly hope each of them will value and learn from this experience and carry over those lessons into their everyday lives.

What do you hope your runners take away from sessions each day?

I hope they leave each practice proud of themselves and accepting of whatever effort they brought to practice that day. The thing about running is that it’s majority a mental sport, and if these girls can start practicing a more positive outlook on their friends and individual success, I think they will be more accepting and willing to face challenges that get thrown in their way while growing up.

When and why did you start your running career?

I started running my sophomore year in high school. Before running I had done ballet with the Boston Ballet for 10 years and also played lacrosse. I had been going through some change my sophomore year with friendships and I was finding it really hard to “stay true to myself” and find my place amongst everything going on around me. So, I decided to try something new. I had no idea what I was doing, or how many laps each distance was or was even on the track team-but after the first practice I was hooked.

What does running mean to you?

Running to me is about getting up every morning and working hard for something greater than myself. It’s about testing my limits and pushing through the hardest of times. It’s about not being afraid to feel pain or an overload of success and just taking in every moment and being grateful for having the ability to run and share that passion with others.

Where is your favorite spot to run in Hingham?

I tend to run this same loop by the harbor pretty often. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful location, just being outside is what makes it all worth it.

What do you love most about summertime in Hingham?

Brings back good memories. Hingham is where I’ve grown up and I just love being back and surrounding myself with the people that supported me to get to where I am today.

If you could give one piece of advice to a student hoping to be a college-level athlete, what would it be?

Make sure it’s really what you want...make sure you’re staying true to yourself. Being a collegiate athlete is something that people don’t understand unless of course you are one. It’s hard work, it’s like having a full time job. However, it’s an opportunity not everyone receives, so if you have the chance, I recommend you take it, as the experience will teach you things you never thought you’d learn.