‘Run Like a Girl’ Alum Chase Gilbert Plays it Forward With Gatorade Gift

OLD LYME, CT – Lyme-Old Lyme High School cross-country and track standout Chase Gilbert was 8 years old when she first participated in the Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau (LYSB) “Run Like a Girl” program. 

The empowerment curriculum, devised in 2012 by Lyme-Old Lyme High School student Amy Lee as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, included summertime training runs for young girls followed by life lessons at the youth center.  

In a Thursday interview, Gilbert remembered the high school mentors who led the pack of elementary- and middle school-aged girls on jogs around tree-lined paths and trails surrounding LYSB’s Lyme Street home. She said she was surprised to find she could stick with them.  

“I’m keeping up with the high schoolers,” Gilbert recalled thinking. “I must be pretty good at this.” 

Less than a decade later, she would become the fastest girl in the state. 

Gilbert, recognized earlier this year as the Gatorade Connecticut Girls Cross Country Player of the Year, announced LYSB as the recipient of a $1,000 grant from the sports drink company’s  “Play It Forward” community grant initiative to reduce barriers to kids’ participation in sports. It was her privilege to choose the recipient. 

LYSB Executive Director Mary Seidner said the annual program, which lasts from June through August, costs about $1,000 for stipends and lesson supplies. 

It’s perfect, according to Gilbert. 

“Since they helped spark my passion for the sport, it makes sense to just give it back to them,” she said. 

Three summers ago, Gilbert returned to the program as one of the high school mentors she used to be so proud of keeping up with. That’s when she figured out it’s the older girls’ job to match the younger ones’ pace, not to set their own. 

“This is not a boot camp whatsoever,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to bond and maybe form a passion that could be something bigger when they get older.”

She’s also giving back lessons in persistence learned through countless wins and a few discouraging setbacks. This fall, she captured the State Open cross-country title by 14.68 seconds. Earlier this month, she defended her 1,600-meter title at the Indoor State Open after setting the meet record last year.

Midway through her sophomore year, she had to take off eight weeks when a weak glute muscle gave out. 

“Excellence doesn’t come without working through hard things,” she said. “And luckily, in my case, the hard things I face are things I enjoy.” 

Maggie Curtiss – a resident, parent, kindergarten teacher and longtime runner – has led the program for the past two years. On Friday, she reiterated Gilbert’s emphasis on pushing through when things get tough. 

“It’s about doing hard things and becoming one of those girls who’s got a lot of grit,” she said. “It’s about supporting each other and being each other’s cheerleaders.” 

That means running, of course, but also warming up and cooling down. It means eating right and exploring meditative practices like yoga and creative outlets like dance. 

It also means meeting the girls where they are, according to Curtiss. There are some who can stay with Gilbert and others who need to walk after running a block. 

The kindergarten teacher in Curtiss finds it natural to customize the experience so each girl can get the most out of the program. 

“The running is just kind of an avenue for how you can be the healthiest and happiest and strongest person you can be,” she said. 

Still, 8-year-old Chase Gilbert took her “Run Like a Girl” experience literally. The self esteem and team-building exercises settled more subconsciously on her path to success. 

“I remember the running part most vividly,” she said. 

From the vantage point of a 17-year-old, Gilbert looks at her time with the younger girls as an important reminder to have fun. She said their welcoming attitude and constant jokes made her feel immediately welcomed. 

She returns the favor by encouraging them to do their best. 

“It’s being gentle about it, but also telling them, ‘It’s going to be hard – but you do it anyways,’” she said. 

She acknowledged the girls who gravitate toward her on the 8:30 a.m. summer runs tend to be the faster ones in the group. Asked if there are any future Chase Gilberts among them, she said she anticipates great things from one entering ninth grade next year, as well as a sixth-grade “little speedster” who stands out from the pack because of her athletic ability. 

Curtiss credited Gilbert with providing a “quiet, lovely and strong presence” for the girls. 

“They have so much respect for her,” she said. “And she’s funny. She makes us laugh. They’re just naturally drawn to her.” 

At the helm of the youth services organization, Seidner said it’s been inspiring to watch Gilbert grow from a young girl in the program to a nationally recognized scholar-athlete and mentor. 

She predicted the $1,000 donation will leave a lasting mark as more young girls “discover their own strength, confidence, and love of running through this program.” 

For Gilbert, the emphasis on fun as a foundation for running is something she’ll carry with her to the University of Virginia in the fall. 

“It’s a good reminder to keep when you’re training at my level,” she said. “And then, of course, when I train harder in college.” 

The straight-A student said it all comes down to never giving up. 

She envisions a future in a math-related field tied to athletics, like exercise science or sports management. 

“I just want to continue improving. I want to chase marks that I haven’t reached before. I want to enjoy myself with my teammates,” she said. “And, yeah, I just want to win.”