The Strength of Teamwork & Friendship @the 18-Miler

Mirella, 4 years in SRLA - Camino Nuevo High School #2

The dictionary states that teamwork means a group of persons acting together as a team with a common interest. Through running with SRLA I was able to find the meaning of teamwork through my work with my team and myself. Many people can say they know many words and the definitions of it, but it is different when one develops its meaning and puts the words of it into action. In the Friendship Run, one is able to clearly show it. The Friendship Run is a race, but in reality, it’s a test of courage, heart, and mental strength that thousands of students take. I can personally say it is more difficult than the L.A Marathon itself. 

Camino Nuevo High School started with a small group of SRLA students 11 years ago. Now, we are one of the largest groups of all SRLA. Not only has the number of members increased, but its strength has too. Being a member of the SRLA family these last four years is an honor as I learned values, received unforgettab
le memories, and have had life changing journeys. Yet, the Friendship Run has its own chapter in my team's journey and mine. 

My team always starts together at the starting line to show our support regardless if we are the last group behind thousands of people. Then, we proudly start together singing, "I can do it. We can do it. We will do it," as we start the race. We set off with lots of strength and support from one another knowing the challenging course we will face at Hansen Dam. For the last three Friendship Runs I have run, I have always ran it with my friend; we coincidentally meet in the middle of the race. I meet him when I need a small push to keep going. My team works together mentally and physically as we run. This gives me more courage to face pain because I know that my team feels it when someone needs them. Without speaking to each other, we are able to understand each other by just running together. We continue to run as we hear our footsteps dominating the course. As we enter the dam, my friend fell and hurt his ankle, which did not allow him to stand up for a while. He was there when I needed him the most, and I was there when he needed someone as well. It took us a while to continue running because of the pain he was feeling and my lack of strength from before, but we felt stronger than when we began. We felt stronger than before because we were putting our all and fighting against both pride and knee pain in those last two miles. It is not easy to beat Hansen Dam, especially alone, and we know it. No one wants pain, but one cannot have a rainbow without a little rain. I am grateful to have run the Friendship Race with my friend. But I am more grateful of being in SRLA with my team because they always stand next to me even though they are not running with me physically.

In this last Friendship Run I was not with my friend, but I felt the presence of my team stronger than ever. We started together again giving our support. We were 7 minutes late starting because of the long restroom line, but we started together. As I was running, my knee began to hurt at mile 8 from my previous injury. Therefore, I slowed down and felt a little discouraged. When thinking this way, I met my friend, Karen, but not in a pleasant place. She was sitting on the sidewalk holding her leg because she fell and could no longer walk. I felt helpless because I couldn't do anything for her at the time. I stood with her for about 10 minutes. She told me to leave after a while. I felt I was making the situation worst, so I left when I knew her mom was on her way. As I started running, I wasn't feeling well because I was thinking I did a mistake of leaving her. However, I then realized I was completely wrong. I had to keep running my best for her, the rest of my team, my coaches, my family and myself.  I ran. I felt Karen's and my team member's presence, work, laughs, and passion they all left on the first lap of the course and the trainings we had done before in Hansen Dam. All of our hard training and heart were left on the road, which already made us winners of this course. So I continued to run with a better mind and heart compared to the first lap as I dedicated the last miles to Karen who did not have the opportunity that I did. I was hurt, but not compared to other runners that I saw. Every left step I took was mine, but every right step I took was my friend's (Karen), Michelle's, and the rest of my SRLA family members. 

After the race, I got to hear the journeys my team members faced too. Richard, my team member, said there was a moment where he felt he couldn't run. Richard said the only problem was that another member of the team did not want to leave him. But, he said, "Don't stay with me now. Why? We are going to see ourselves in the finish line… where we can celebrate." His words hit me as I knew I was thinking of going back for my friend. This race tested the bond and relationship we have as a team, which I proudly say we passed and dominated it with sweat, tears, pain and love as we crossed the Finish Line of the Friendship Run chapter.