ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Black women in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County are lacing up their sneakers every Saturday morning — not to shop, but to get their steps in.
Once a week, members of GirlTrek, a national advocacy organization that connects Black women around walking and health, meet inside Annapolis Mall to walk three miles together.
The group originally walked outdoors, but weather and ongoing construction near Annapolis City Dock pushed them inside.
Wellness walking group utilizes Annapolis Mall to improve their health
Jo Ann Scipio, a member of the Annapolis/Anne Arundel County GirlTrek chapter, said the transition made sense.
"Changes in the weather that we started coming to the mall as our backup so if it was too hot, to cold, precipitation we would come to the mall and we just started walking in the mall because right now Annapolis is doing some work on the city dock so everything is messed up there so for now we're here at the mall."
What is now one unified chapter was once two separate groups that didn't know the other existed — until they crossed paths at the mall. The two chapters merged and now include roughly 130 women.
Raychiel Webb, a member of the Annapolis/Anne Arundel County GirlTrek chapter, said the meeting was a turning point.
"So we were walking here at the mall and ran into the Anne Arundel county group and we decided to join forces so now we are the Annapolis/Anne Arundel County GirlTrek group."
For the women involved, GirlTrek is about far more than physical fitness.
"We did it for that feeling of community, just coming together as black women, for our health."
The group addresses a wide range of issues during their walks, from personal wellness to broader social concerns.
"Its walk, talk and solve, so we also are concerned about health issues, we're concerned about political issues, racial issues and so it gives us a chance to as girl trek we can represent that."
Members say the mall's central location also helps them stay connected to the community and local businesses.
The impact of each walk extends beyond the physical.
"There is never a time that I come that I'm not enriched, more knowledgeable, more loved, more healthy and it is a life changer."
The group walks every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at Annapolis Mall.
For more information on how to join GirlTrek, click here.
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