This Saturday, instead of dinner reservations or heart-shaped balloons, dozens of women across the Central Valley will lace up their sneakers and meet in parks and shopping centers for something simpler: a walk.

Confident Girl Walks, a women-only walking group founded by Fresno confidence coach Marty Ortiz, is hosting Galentine’s Day walks in Clovis, Visalia, and Fowler. These walks are bringing together women who say they’re looking for connection, movement and “girl time.”

What started as a small post-pandemic meet-up has grown into a multi-city community that, for many participants, fills a gap they didn’t realize existed.

From Coaching Clients to Community

Ortiz began organizing walks in 2022 for women enrolled in her confidence coaching programs. Many were emerging from COVID-19 isolation and struggling with social connection.

“I was using that as a way for them to not feel so alone and just have someone else to talk to,” Ortiz said. “They hadn’t really socialized with other girls.”

Attendance was inconsistent at first. Sometimes only a few women showed up. Sometimes none. A friend encouraged her to make the walks weekly and open them to the public.

In June of last year, Confident Girl Walks became a consistent Monday evening event at Woodward Park in Fresno. Since then, the group has expanded meet-ups led by volunteer walk leaders in Clovis, Visalia, and most recently Fowler.

At the end of summer, one Woodward Park walk drew about 50 women.

“There’s a lot of women that come out and say, ‘I’ve been looking for something like this,’” Ortiz said. “They always find run clubs, but they’re not runners.”

The walks are intentionally accessible: mostly flat terrain and stroller-friendly. Women of all ages attend. Some bring their children. The atmosphere is casual but structured enough to make newcomers feel welcome.

Ortiz typically opens each walk with an introduction and a reflection question before participants pair up and start walking.

The branding is deliberate. Ortiz, who has been a confidence coach for five years, chose the name “Confident Girl Walks” as an extension of her broader empowerment work.

“Everything that I do is centered around building confidence and empowering women,” she said. “Everyone wants to be confident.”

Showing Up Even When It’s Hard

For many women, the walk represents more than exercise.

Isela Welz, an environmental attorney in Fresno, attended her first walk last July.

“I was going through a really bad breakup,” Welz said. “I relocated to Fresno. My whole life revolved around my partner and his kids. And so after the breakup, I don’t really know anybody outside of the people that I worked with.”

She describes herself as an “extroverted introvert” — comfortable talking to people, but still hesitant to walk into a new group alone. After her first visit, she returned the following week by herself.

“I say, I have a standing Monday night appointment,” she said. “Because I know I’m still not all the way healed. I’m not going to go home and sit on the sofa and be sad. I’m going to go talk and I’m going to go walk.”

Welz now leads the Wednesday walk near the Veteran’s Blvd. Trail serving women who can’t make the Monday meet-up or prefer something closer to home. She says about 80% of her Wednesday group attends exclusively on that night.

“I think what helps me continue to want to go and what really encouraged me to say, ‘OK, Marty, I’ll lead the Wednesday Night Walks’ is knowing that there’s other women going through similar situations as I am,” Welz said. 

The Adult Friendship Gap

Denise Davis found the group after three years of searching.

Originally from Kerman, Davis moved to Fresno four years ago. With her sons grown and her routine centered around work and the gym, she found herself without close friendships. 

“I didn’t have any friends,” she said, reflecting on that period. “It took me actually three years to find a walking group.”

She discovered Confident Girl Walks through TikTok last June. She was nervous at her first walk, unsure what to expect but returned the following Monday and has been going weekly ever since.

Since joining, she’s watched the group grow from around 15 women to nearly 50 at peak attendance. 

“It brings women together,” Davis said. “You walk at your own pace, you buddy up with a partner.” 

Walking in a group provides a sense of comfort and sometimes, skill-building. One past event featured a self-defense instructor who led participants through a full training session.

“It further empowers us,” Ortiz said.

A Valentine’s Day Alternative

This weekend’s Galentine’s walks are meant to celebrate friendship rather than romance. Participants are encouraged to wear pink or red, and organizers will offer small raffle prizes at each location.

Here is the schedule:

Feb. 14 Meet Ups

Clovis — 9 a.m., Spirit Made Cakes Bakery and Cafe, 1345 N. Willow Ave. Suite 100

Fowler — 11 a.m., Starbucks, 216 W. Merced St.

Visalia — 9 a.m., in front of L.J. Williams Theatre, 1001 W. Main St., (corner of Main & Dudley)

For more information, visit social media platforms @confidentgirlwalks