Go Girls Goes Global

The Toronto Go Girls has officially expanded its reach internationally. Member Mariana packed her running shoes with her on her recent trip to Brazil. While visiting Rio de Janeiro, Mariana took time out of her very intense coffee-drinking schedule to log a 7.5K run at Lagoa. Lagoa is a lagoon located in the Zona Sul (South Zone) of Rio. The lagoon is connected to the Atlantic by a canal which is bordered by the Garden of Alah park. The canoeing and rowing events at the 2016 Olympics in Rio will be held at Lagoa. While there is speculation that Mariana was scouting this location for the Canadian Olympic team, Mariana was not available to confirm this story.

The impact of the Go Girls' first international foray was felt almost immediately. Various Rio running clubs commented that they were honoured by the presence of this growing Canadian running club. Some clubs, however, noted that it would have been nice if the Go Girls had sent along a true Canadian representative to accompany Mariana, who is, of course, a Brazilian national. This sentiment was apparently shared by the Canadian members of the Go Girls, who were left behind to shiver in Toronto while Mariana runs in Brazil. "She didn't even know that we make ice rinks inside all year round," one member complained. "Plus, it sounds unnatural to say 'hoser' and 'toque' with a Portuguese accent. I'm not saying Mariana should not have been our official representative to Brazil. I just think that someone should have accompanied her."

Perhaps future diplomatic missions to Brazil involving the Toronto Go Girls will involve more members than just our token Brazilian runner. For now, however, Mariana is doing a fine job representing the Go Girls on the roads in Brazil (and in the coffee shops, too). We salute you, Mariana, for representing our Canadian running club in your native Brazil. We also wonder: is it finally warm enough for you to take off those running gloves?!