Kim Marcotte – coached 12 seasons
Kim is a community member who jumped right in to GOTR as a Head Coach in her town of Falmouth in the Spring of 2014. The Falmouth site has had its ups and downs – some years it’s been hard to find volunteers, other years it’s hard to fill a team. Kim has worked with and mentored many coaches, led small teams and big teams, coached an in-person team during a pandemic, but she has always shown up for GOTR. When she hasn’t had a team, she has been a substitute coach for other teams. The energy Kim brings to her role of coach and the bond she creates with her girls are unrivaled. Her own kids are grown and in college now, but Kim keeps coming back. She just can’t resist the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of girls. Thank you, Kim, you don’t know how much it means to us that you have stayed.
Bob Ayotte – board member for 6 years and 5k volunteer for 10 years
Bob is one of our earliest advocates. In our first season, Fall 2012, we were too small to host our own 5k so we asked the Race Director of the Cape Elizabeth Turkey Trot if we could run his race as our culminating event. Bob was that Race Director and the rest is history! Bob became a board member in 2013 and served as board chair in his second term until 2019. He remains a supporter and 5k volunteer to this day. He has probably packed the 5k moving truck with us at least a dozen times. That’s true love. We can’t thank you enough, Bob! We are so honored to have you as a volunteer.
Casie Grady – coached 15 seasons, Camp GOTR Director and coach
Casie was just 24 when she signed up to be an assistant coach at her new school in Spring 2015 and she was quickly bitten by the GOTR bug. Wise beyond her years, Casie decided to coach a second season with a mentor, someone who happens to be standing here with us, so she felt prepared to become a Head Coach. And here we are almost eight years later and Casie’s GOTR program at Narragansett School in Gorham is still going strong. Casie has seen her co-coaches come and go, but she has never wavered in her desire to empower her students. We consider Casie part of the staff team. She has taken on the role of Camp Director for our summer camp and is helping us bring GOTR to new communities. I have a hunch that GOTR has had a very positive impact on Casie’s life. In a way she has grown up with GOTR and now she is one of the coaches we go to first when we need advice.
Monica Perkins – coached 10 seasons
Knowing that she would want GOTR for her daughter in the future, Monica established a team in 2015, when her daughter was just 3 years old, at what would be her kids’ elementary school, Dyer in South Portland. Despite working full time and being a mom, Monica dedicated her time to coaching and building a program that benefited kids that were not her own. She went above and beyond to help girls in her community find confidence. Monica kept the team going until eventually, after waiting out the pandemic, Monica's daughter was finally able to participate in the fifth grade, coached by her mom.
Maggie Poisson – board member for 5 years and 5k course manager for 9
In early 2013, Maggie was asked by her boss John Rogers of Maine Running Co, one of our earliest sponsors, to sit on the Board of this brand-new organization that inspired girls through running. Little did Maggie know how the board service and the program would positively impact her life. Maggie served two board terms and has been the 5k course manager for 14 GOTR 5k events. Through her work and life changes, GOTR has remained a consistent source of joy for Maggie and Maggie has been a consistent dependable volunteer for us. We would not be the success we are without Maggie. When asked what GOTR means to her, Maggie said, “GOTR for me, means a brighter future and equality for all. Watching girls grow through this program and cheering them on during their final 5K challenge is so inspiring. The JOY on the course is like no other.”
Sue Adams-Thompson – coached 15 seasons, recruited, trained and mentored new coaches – with us Fall 2013-Spring 2021
Coach A-T and GOTR-Maine go way back! Sue was among the small group of coaches trained in year one. She was asked by the mom of a very special girl to help coach this program to help her daughter build confidence and navigate school life. As a 20+ year second grade teacher who wanted more for her students, Sue immediately recognized the power of GOTR. She kicked off her coaching journey in the Fall of 2013 at Great Falls Elementary in Gorham. Sue’s team was the first team I ever visited as a new Executive Director. Sue brought the program to her own school – Village School in Gorham - the next year where she coached until 2021. Sue inspired me and so many coaches during her 9 years of coaching. Sue impacted our organization in so many ways, she presented at Coach Training, mentored many coaches, including Coach Casie, helped us recruit new teams, and even spent her first year of retirement on the payroll! Most importantly though, Sue embodies what it means to be a GOTR Coach – she lives and breathes our mission, keeps her heart and mind open, shares her true self, and leads with kindness. Coach A-T has moved to Colorado and we miss her so. Thank you, Sue!
Sam Medici – coached 10 seasons and counting
As a young teacher in a school where students often faced challenges, Sam knew that girls needed every opportunity to grow and gain confidence. She brought GOTR to her school community in Norway in Spring of 2015 and made a big impact there. Sam also led Camp GOTR in the summer of 2018. When she moved to a new school in Durham in 2020, Sam brought GOTR with her! A new mom to a baby girl, Sam is even more motivated to bring GOTR to yet another community, where she lives, in the Spring. Thank you for spreading our message, Sam, and for sprinkling GOTR wherever you go!
Dr. Alyssa Goodwin – coached 10 seasons and started a GOTR movement in the town of Brunswick
Alyssa started coaching when her daughter Hazel was in the program in the Spring of 2017, the next season she took on the role of Head Coach and never looked back. Despite being a full-time pediatrician, and running marathons more often than most, Alyssa always has time for GOTR. Alyssa is the Head-Head Coach, managing coaches and girls on 3 full teams each season. She I am happy to share that thanks to Alyssa, 368 Brunswick girls have experienced the power of Girls on the Run! In Summer of 2020, we nominated Alyssa for Girls on the Run International’s Remarkable Volunteer Award in the Coach category and she won on of the 12 coach awards nationwide – so deserving! When she thanked us for the award, Alyssa said, “It means so much that you thought of me for this recognition. GOTR is magic. It keeps us coming back.“ Thank you, Alyssa! We think GOTR is magic too!