Catherine “Coach Cat” Bradshaw’s dedication as a volunteer was recently recognized by the Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation with a HALO Award, honoring her outstanding commitment to the girls she serves. In addition to celebrating Cat’s impact, the HALO Award also includes capacity-building funding for Girls on the Run of Los Angeles County. These funds will help strengthen our volunteer management efforts, supporting the recruitment, training, and retention of the incredible coaches who make this program possible. When Coach Cat was nominated for the Halo Award, her reaction was simple: gratitude. But for the girls and coaches whose lives she’s touched through Girls on the Run, her impact runs far deeper. For Coach Cat, this work is personal.
A Program She Once Needed
As a young girl, Catherine was bullied so severely that she eventually had to transfer schools. She was a strong student who loved learning, but being “a little different” made her a target. “I didn’t want to go to school,” she recalls. “And that was completely out of the norm for me.” She often thinks about how different those years might have felt if she’d had a program like Girls on the Run. If she'd had coaches who reminded her she was valued, capable, and not alone. So when the opportunity to coach came during COVID, it felt aligned. “This is exactly what I needed when I was a 12-year-old girl.” Today, she gets to be that steady presence for someone else. Her belief is clear: preparation creates possibility. But what truly defines her leadership is the environment she builds. At every practice, she tells the girls: “There is no wrong answer. Be you. Share what’s in your heart. This is a safe place.” And when girls are given that permission, something powerful happens. She has watched timid, closed-off participants; girls who barely spoke at the start, transform into confident, expressive teammates by the end of the season. “I see the younger version of myself in every single one of my girls,” she says. “And I recognize that uncertainty. Watching them grow confidence is everything.”
The Power of Vulnerability
Some of the most meaningful moments have come when girls choose to share deeply personal struggles. Catherine recalls a participant who bravely shared that she has autism and is often made fun of at school but felt safe enough to open up during practice. Another girl spoke about her dyslexia, first with embarrassment, and later with pride and determination: “Yeah, I have dyslexia, but I’m working on it." These moments are met not with silence, but with smiles, applause, and celebration. “There’s so much congratulating going on,” Coach Cat says. “We welcome it. We celebrate it.” For girls navigating bullying, self-doubt, learning differences, and social pressures, that kind of affirmation is transformative. It teaches them that challenges don’t define them; they strengthen them. “Some kids just need to feel special,” she explains. “They need to feel part of something.” And when they do, they rise.
Growing Together
While the girls gain confidence, Coach Cat insists she grows right alongside them.
“There are challenging moments,” she admits; last-minute absences, staffing struggles, managing diverse needs within the group. But those challenges are part of what keeps her coming back. “I get just as much, if not more, out of Girls on the Run as my girls do. ”The lessons about emotional regulation, inclusivity, healthy friendships, and relationship boundaries aren’t just for participants. They’re reminders for adults, too. Beyond the girls, she has built lasting friendships with fellow coaches. She mentors assistant coaches, writes recommendation letters, celebrates their wins, and encourages them to step into leadership. Catherine brings organization to her coaching but balances it with flexibility and empathy. She believes strong leadership means trusting others, allowing them to stumble, and giving them room to shine. “It doesn’t have to be perfect,” she says. “You’ve got to let people grow.”
Why It Matters
Catherine believes programs like Girls on the Run Greater Los Angeles are essential especially during the often turbulent preteen years. She reflects on when we learn to regulate our emotions, value diversity, choose friends, and build healthy relationships.“A lot of us just figure it out on our own.” Through Girls on the Run, girls don’t have to. After four years with the Los Angeles chapter, Coach Cat watched as participants grew not only in age and maturity, but in independence, courage, and self-belief. “I want this organization not just to keep running,” she says, “but to thrive.” For Catherine Bradshaw, volunteering isn’t just about giving back. It’s about rewriting the story for the next generation of girls and making sure they never feel alone in becoming who they are meant to be.