Senior Stories: Qihao, Running from Doubt
Qihao Huang is a graduated senior hailing from Abraham Lincoln Senior High School. Qihao received an SRLA Scholarship which will contribute to the next phase of his academic journey at UC San Diego.
“All the doubtful voices I have about myself about not reaching the goal I want are eliminated.”
My most memorable experience occurred in Student Run LA, a community-based program where middle/high school students could have the opportunity to apply their perseverance and enthusiasm in running and form valuable relationships with like-minded individuals. After the pandemic, friends introduced me to an opportunity to earn community hours for graduation – Youth United for Community Action (YUCA). Through the experience of handing runners water during the 2021 LA Marathon at mile 3, seeing the tendency of the running spirit passing from elderly runners to the young generation as they were all striving their efforts to achieve the beauty of Los Angeles. I must confirm that my sight was attracted by the strong will of runners. Since then, I was eager to break my ordinary lifestyle and accomplish things that only existed in my mind - running a marathon for my school's SRLA group.
Qihao at the start line of the 2022 Los Angeles Marathon.
For starters, running 6 miles can be a hopeless and uncomfortable experience, especially after waking up at 6 am and running up a 45-degree hill in Elysian Park with strangers, but this was a norm every Sunday of my junior year. Every moment of feeling my legs as solid metal after training taught me the importance of stretching beforehand. Whenever the thought of abandoning everything hits my mind, my teammates encouraged and pushed me to exceed my limit. With a year-long commitment, I gradually enhanced my breathing pattern and cadence while familiarizing my teammates. My legs were no longer solid metal but my best assistance to achieve my goal.
I participated in the 2022 Los Angeles Marathon as a student runner, representing the spirit of my school. I had waited too long for this momentous moment in my life, and my heart was pounding like seeing the City of Angels from a plane for the first time. After several miles, where my friends who volunteered at YUCA passed me the water and encouraged me to finish by saying "You're halfway there, keep going!" I felt speechless but also had a sense of pride. It was painful but one of the happiest moments in my life as people were voluntarily cheering for runners to achieve what they are passionate about. My goal was to finish the marathon in under 5 hours. To do so, I constantly checked and maintained a steady pace of around 10 mins for the first 14 miles. However, after I reached 20 miles, everything changed. From there, my legs started constantly getting cramps that forced me to walk and my pace was gradually decreasing to 11, then 12, and 13 minutes per mile, I started getting desperate and worry about that I may not able to achieve my goal. But one of the residents passed a bag of yellow mustard, sprayed my legs to relieve the physical pain that I suffered, and told me that “You have a really good pace, keep walking and you will finish it," this eased my concerns and strengthened my will of perseverance.
Amazingly, I did, for the first time, achieve my goal of running a marathon in under 5 hours, according to my speed-checking app. All the doubtful voices I have about myself about not reaching the goal I want are eliminated. Through the experience of participating in SRLA for my last two years of high school, I gained friends who have the passion to meet a common end and broaden my understanding of the beauty of Los Angeles city. SRLA had not only shaped me into better shape, but cultivated a mind that could meet any challenges. I’m no longer a young child that is always waiting for the moment to arrive, I'm a grown man that seeks to make a significant change in my life. I'm thankful for all support from my family and leaders as they encouraged me to challenge things I could've never done and taught me how to create a valuable experience in my life.
Qihao throwing his cap in celebration of his high school graduation.