I am a funckle to 6.

I am a special education teacher at an all-special education school called Almansor Academy. After running track and cross country at UCLA, I took a 5-year break from racing and now I’m returning to it! Running helped me establish a strong foundation for my life and got me through difficult times. It has given me a lot, and I want to use it to give to the students of Almansor. I'm dedicated to raising money for curriculum development for Almansor’s learners. I'm using marathoning to do it. The donation link is in my Instagram BIO. I love my students, and school is their safe space. I want to do all I can to support them in reaching their full potential. They give me hope.

I want to model for my students that when you weather the storms, the light at the end of the tunnel is worth it. Before CIM, one of my students told me, “Sometimes when I try hard things, I feel like giving up. Then I remind myself that my teacher Emilio is running 26 miles for us, and I realize that I can't give up.” I feel no stress or pressure in this sport because I already won.

"When the going gets tough, the labor of our love will reward us soon enough."- Los Growlers

Making lifelong friends through running.