Founded in 2014, Wellfit Girls has helped more than 400 Southwest Florida girls build confidence, develop leadership skills, and prepare for adulthood. Today, under CEO Franchesca Whiting, the organization is responding to one of the greatest challenges facing young people: They are more digitally connected than ever, yet often feel disconnected from one another.
“Today's teens are looking for belonging,” Whiting says. “They need opportunities to put down their phones, have honest conversations and work through challenges to build resilience.”
Wellfit Girls creates those opportunities through programs combining leadership, fitness, and outdoor adventure. Participants encounter physical, mental, and social challenges that require them to communicate, take responsibility, ask for help, and support the group.
The signature high school program, Summit Sisters, is a six-month leadership experience culminating in a backpacking expedition. Before shouldering their packs, participants spend months in leadership sessions, fitness training, team building, and wellness education.
In the backcountry, lessons become real. The girls carry their gear, navigate difficult terrain, adapt to changing conditions, and encourage one another through discomfort. They learn leadership can mean making a difficult decision, admitting you need help, or carrying more weight when a teammate is struggling.
For Wellfit Girls, the mountain is more than a destination. It is a metaphor for life’s peaks and valleys - the difficult climbs, unexpected setbacks, and moments of triumph. Girls learn challenges do not have to stop them; with preparation, perseverance, and support, they can continue moving forward.
“The transformation begins long before they reach the mountain,” Whiting says. “Every time a girl honors a commitment, uses her voice, or works through something difficult, she builds trust in herself.”
Wellfit Girls introduces these principles in middle school through summer camp and after school programs centered on teamwork, communication, adventure, sisterhood, and service. This summer, campers learned how nonprofit organizations serve the Naples community. With help from a generous volunteer, campers donated handmade blankets to The Shelter for Abused Women & Children.
The project reinforced a central Wellfit Girls belief: Leadership is not a title. It is how a person shows up for others.
That same belief drives the organization’s commitment to accessibility. Tuition helps cover program costs, but scholarships are available for families who cannot afford to participate.
“Financial circumstances should never determine whether a girl can find her voice, experience belonging, or discover her strength,” Whiting says. “Every girl deserves to be challenged, supported, and surrounded by people who believe in her.”
Community support makes those experiences possible. Individuals and businesses can fund scholarships, sponsor programs, donate resources, volunteer, or connect Wellfit Girls with potential participants.
The expedition ends when the girls come down from the mountain. The transformation continues when a Wellfit Girl speaks up, welcomes someone into a group, follows through on a promise, or faces an unfamiliar challenge and remembers their strength.
To get involved, contact Franchesca at franchesca@wellfitgirls.org.