Jennifer: Everything Is Possible

As our SRLA students prepare for this seasons half marathons, Jennifer shares the story of one of her first half marathons.

Jennifer captured this photo the morning of the Pasadena Half Marathon.

My feet hit the cement in a repetitive rhythm. Left, right, left right. I looked down at my blue running shoes as I felt the blood pounding through my toes in an unpleasant way. As I looked up, I saw the one mile sign up ahead. “Only one more mile!” I thought as I took a walking break. As I looked around me I saw several young people that looked about my age. All of them looked exhausted. “I probably don’t look that much better myself.” I thought. I decided to jog a bit more.

The path that stretched before me seemed infinite. Left, right, left, right. I approached a young woman that was at the side of the path with a small table. On the small table were small cups of Gatorade that she was giving out to those who needed a drink. I graciously accepted the small cup, and muttered a “thank you” with a small smile on my face. That woman was a life saver! Mere moments after I drank the red liquid, I felt a new surge of energy. I started out with a jog, and once I heard all the chanting and music that was coming from the finish line, my heart skipped a beat. “I’m almost there.” I mouthed to myself. Left, right, left, right.

Jennifer proudly shows off her medal, after finishing her half marathon.

My pace quickened.  My heart was pounding as I pushed my body to the limit. Soon, I saw myself at the entrance of the Rose Bowl stadium. The energy there was out of this world. The music was booming, people were cheering, and I felt absolutely amazing even though I had just ran thirteen miles.

The finish line was a few steps away, but I slowed my fast paced running into a light jog as I saw a photographer on the side of the narrow path. I adjusted my fanny pack to make sure my bib number was on full display. Got to look good for the cameras! The photographer took a picture, and mere moments after, I finished the 2019 Pasadena Half-Marathon.

What you just read above was my experience of my second half-marathon. My first one was the Pomona Holiday Half-Marathon. I thought of just stating everything that happened at the half-marathon, but as the ideas flowed out of my mind and the tips of my fingers typed them into words that then appeared on the computer screen, it just did not sound right. Then I thought, “What better way to show others my experience than through a story?” My hope is that whoever reads my small story will gain something from it. Incoming students, don’t be afraid of this challenge that you have ahead of you. Everything is possible if you put your mind to it and if you are dedicated to putting all your effort into doing the very best you can.

Hello person who just stumbled across this. You should start running too! Running is certainly not an instant gratification, but in the end, I can assure you that all your time and effort will be worth it. And Dr. Serna, if you are reading this, a HUGE thank you to you and all the adults that have made our SRLA experiences possible. We cannot thank you enough! Dr. Serna, you are an admirable person for helping me and other students through this long journey, and we were able to finish the 2019 LA Marathon together!

SRLA has helped me come across extraordinary individuals and gain awesome experiences, both of which I will remember for the rest of my life. 

Jennifer is currently training for the 2020 Los Angeles Marathon, alongside her teachers and teammates at Harbor Teacher Prep Academy. To support students like Jennifer and her piers at HTPA, considering making a donation at srla.org/donate