Week 3 Recap — Sunrise Runs, Shoe Celebrations & Breaking Taboos
- joy stalteri
- Apr 14, 2025
- 3 min read
Week 3 of our pilot program was all about growth — in distance, confidence, community, and courage. From powerful workshops to new personal bests, our runners are beginning to see what they’re capable of — and it’s inspiring.
🩺 Breaking Taboos Through Health Education
We welcomed Asel, a women’s health educator based in the United States and a team member with KyzKoldoo — a powerful platform advancing women’s rights, health, and empowerment in Kyrgyzstan. Asel led an open and empowering workshop on:
Women’s anatomy & reproductive health
Menstrual cycles & contraception
Consent, STIs, Pap smears, and HPV vaccines
For many participants, this was the first time these topics had ever been discussed openly. The session was honest, warm, and deeply informative — removing shame and replacing it with knowledge. The girls asked thoughtful, brave questions and left feeling more confident and curious about their health.
This session reinforced the heart of Juniper Kyz: that education and sport go hand-in-hand to build confidence from the inside out.
🌅 Sunrise Runs & Schedule Adjustments
This week, we shifted to early morning practices twice a week — starting our runs with the rising sun and sharing the calm of a quiet Bishkek morning.
To make the program accessible for everyone, we’ve kept one evening session per week for girls who have early classes and can’t attend in the morning. We’re also continuing our Saturday long runs, which include time for skills, leadership development, and team building.
This flexible schedule is helping everyone stay committed, consistent, and supported.
👟 New Shoes, Long Runs & a Birthday Celebration
Saturday was a big day. Many of our runners completed one of their longest and toughest runs yet — around 7 km with elevation gain on the first half of the route.
Afterward, we had a special celebration. Thanks to Li-Ning Kyrgyzstan and our amazing donors through GoFundMe, every participant received a new pair of running shoes — some girls laced up their very first pair! It was beautiful to see their excitement as they tried them on and felt the difference in comfort and support.
We wrapped up the morning at Capito Café with pizza, lemonade, and a Juniper Kyz quiz to help the girls get to know our team. Then we surprised Coach Lily and participant Medina with a birthday cake and celebrated together as a team. 💙
🌟 Participant Spotlight: Ainura Nusubalieva
Each week, we’ll be featuring one or two participants across our blog and Instagram — to highlight their voices, journeys, and reflections from the program.
This week, we’re proud to spotlight Ainura, who shared this beautiful reflection on what Juniper Kyz has meant to her:
“I’m so happy to be part of this program. I’ve found myself among like-minded girls and incredible mentors — each one inspires me with their unique qualities. Since we started running, I’ve been feeling better — both mentally and physically. I’ve started to understand my body more, and I’ve found my own rhythm in running. I realized that big achievements come through small steps and discipline. I’ll keep going at this pace, growing, and reaching new heights.”
— Ainura Nusubalieva, Juniper Kyz participant
🔭 Looking Ahead to Week 4
In Week 4, we’re excited to continue growing — on the track, in the classroom, and as a team:
🍎 Nutrition session led by one of our co-founders Nargiza, focused on fueling for energy, recovery, and everyday health
🧘♀️ Yoga class on Saturday led by a certified instructor
📚 Professional development workshop for our Juniper Kyz team with Professor Laura Parisi from the University of Victoria, focused on grant writing, project management, and international development
🏃♀️ Ongoing leadership development through team-building and peer-led warmup.
Thank you for following our journey — this is just the beginning.
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