Cousins who 5K together stay together

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Running a 5K is a pretty big accomplishment. It takes training and dedication.

This week, a group of young girls completed their first 5K. They spent 12 weeks preparing as part of the BIO Girls program.

BIO Girls is short for “Beautiful Inside and Out.” The group is for adolescent girls, designed to boost self-esteem and empower girls.

The group also creates new friendships and strengthens old ones.

Three young girls say they are closer than ever now, thanks to this race.

This might just be the hardest thing 10-year-old Veda Hintz has ever done. She ran a 5K.

“It was hard but when I persevered and I worked through it then it became fun,” said Veda.

The support from friends and family along the race route helped too. But Veda had a little extra support in this race. Two of her fellow runners, are also her cousins.

“It was pretty cool. Hannah and Braelynn are my cousins,” Veda said.

Braelynn Schumaker is a cousin on Veda’s mom’s side; Hannah Hintz on her dad’s side. Both are a year older than Veda.

“I can look up to them. Literally. Because they’re both taller than me,” Veda said with a laugh.

Height differences aside, this race, and the 12-weeks of training leading up to it created a pretty special bond between these three girls.

“It was fun to watch them finish,” said 11-year-old Hannah Hintz.

“Even though we got separated some points because like others are faster, others are slower. It was still pretty fun just to see them. It was there was at the end in the beginning. It was just fun. Running by them or knowing that they were running the race,” added Braelynn, who is also 11.

Their accomplishment is forever preserved in these post-race photos and will be areminder for these cousins that together they can do anything.

You can learn more about BIO Girls on their website, biogirls.org.

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