‘Girls Gone Mildly Athletic’, a Vagator-run club started by three friends, is helping locals rediscover running through short, inclusive community jogs
CHRISTINE MACHADO | NT BUZZ
It is an aspiration for most people today: get some exercise. While some manage to hit the gym or do some form of workout, others struggle to find the time or to get off the couch. One reason people fail to stick to it is the absence of company and so the resolution to exercise often remains unattempted.
In the case of Eva Luna Terzaghi, Nyima Ohana and Emily R. Acland, the desire to return to running had been building for some time, even though they still visited the gym.
“I started running when I was a teenager and did the London Marathon when I was 18. So I was quite into it back then. But I had stopped running at least 10 years ago,” says Acland, who moved to Goa around that time. Terzaghi and Ohana, both raised in Goa, had also not run in years. “Because running is so good for your heart and your mental health, we wanted to get into it again,” says Acland.
But they did not want to restart alone. So they met for a run and enjoyed it enough to continue. “It was then that we began thinking that there must be other girls who want to start running but are not sure where to begin,” says Acland. That idea became ‘Girls Gone Mildly Athletic’ which they describe as a “highly unprofessional run club”.
At their first official run, four people showed up. The next week, five. The numbers have since grown steadily.
The group meets at Balance Lab in Vagator, run by Terzaghi and her husband Starling. From there, members follow a route to the beach and back, covering about two and a half to three kilometres.
Acland, an actor by profession, says, “It is important when you start running that you let your body get used to it before increasing distances.” A support vehicle accompanies the group for those who need it. Despite the group name, boys are also welcome.
As more people join, they hope to offer different distances and paces and take the runs to new locations based on members’ suggestions and abilities.
Looking ahead, the trio plan to bring in trainers to provide guidance on warm-ups and running form.
“The club is free for anyone to join,” says Acland, adding that they just want people to get moving, make new friends and have a good time.
