Christina Torres
Three years ago, I couldn’t run a mile. I cried to get out of the weekly mile run at my high school. I said I would just “never be a runner.” Two year ago, however, I was accepted into Teach For America, a prestigious leadership program that puts people into low-income classrooms to close America’s educational achievement gap. After getting hired at a local high school, I saw an email from another teacher looking for someone to help with Students Run LA, a program that worked with students to train for the LA Marathon. I decided I would volunteer to help, since it might keep me in shape during my first year of running, but thought I would never actually complete a marathon. By my first 10k, I was completely addicted to running. It gave me an amazing way to bond with trouble students in my classroom. It gave me time to focus and deal with myself in a job that constantly demanded me to focus on others. Running became one of the rare times that I could make my often-racing mind go quiet. The final nail in the coffin was the amazing feeling I had when I completed my first LA Marathon. I knew I was hooked. I think what running really gave to me is the power to realize that I am completely unsure of my own potential. That sounds strange, but what I mean is that I never, ever thought I would love running as much as I do now. I never thought I’d be able to run for 26.2 miles without stopping, or do it much faster than I ever though. I’ve never been more unsure of my own potential is that I’m beginning to realize that the limits I have mostly controlled by what I am willing to achieve. That gift has not only given me tremendous happiness, but changed my entire outlook on life.