Avangrid Renewable’s’ Nick Thiel knows how important a fit and healthy lifestyle is to character development and achieving big goals. He has a very physically and mentally challenging job as the Plant Manager of the Buffalo Ridge II wind farm near Sioux Falls, South Dakota! Nick, who is very active in the greater Sioux Falls community, first learned of Embe (Empowering You to Be) and their “Girls on the Run” (GOTR) program over a decade ago when his wife – then a coach – would share her inspiring stories of the young women in the program, some who are considered “emotionally incarnated” and need a mentor and guidance to help break out of negative situations.  Nick was also inspired by his own experiences growing up, where he learned “the importance of having confidence, knowing I had potential contrary to what others told me, and to pursue goals.”

GOTR is a character development and empowerment program for girls in grades 3 to 5 that uses non-competitive running and training to achieve the goal of participation in a 5K run/walk event and to teach life lessons that encourage positive emotional, physical, social and mental development with the mission of the to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. GOTR also provides many women with an opportunity to be positive role models. Embe offers quality and affordable programs, services and opportunities- like GOTR – meeting the needs of women and their families in the Greater Sioux Falls area. Nick perfectly captures the Embe spirit saying that the organization ”provides the tools to persevere through struggles and be courageous, and this will manifest to others to slowly change the world.”