Senior Stories: Camila, A Testament to Perseverance
Camila Guevara has completed two seasons with Students Run LA (SRLA) and is a recent graduate of Bell High School. Camila was also awarded the SRLA Scholarship this year and will take her scholarship to the University of California, San Diego, where she will major in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience. Camila shares her SRLA journey in her own words below.
Camila proudly celebrating after completing the 2023 Los Angeles Marathon.
Being in Students Run LA has allowed me to achieve one of the hardest goals in the planet, starting and finishing an entire marathon.
Every race taught me something new: self control, determination, hard work, team building, but overall hope.
Starting with the very first 5k my junior year, which at the time was the Homeboy 5k, I had to run through an ongoing calf injury. And while the thought of “I want to give up” ran through my mind multiple times, seeing the people around me try, from the youngest 4th graders to our senior runners, made me keep going.
Moving to the 15k and especially the 30k, I learned to push far beyond my limits. Understanding that trying is better than not doing anything at all. That no matter how many times I stopped to walk, I could not even guess the amount of times I did, I still showed up. I finished with a smile in my face, waiting for my friends to finish, encouraging them all the time.
Everything changed the day of the marathon. It is very true when people say “your first time of everything you do will always be the worst one”, and, on March 19, 2023, I fully realized this. After running the first 13 miles of the race with my friend, my injury stopped me and led me to finishing the rest of the race by myself. This was nothing but a challenge for me, and the pain just worsened the experience.
Nonetheless, I was still able to finish, and in the meantime learn about determination and that giving up is never an answer, and that we ourselves could be our own best friend or our enemy. I could have said “I give up”, “I want to leave the race”, but I persisted and crossed that finish line regardless.
Coach Sanchez says, “SRLA has helped her grow with her leadership skills and is no longer a shy person but a leader, a team captain among my teams. She is well respected and is know for her kind and caring manner.”
Camila taking a selfie with her SRLA Team.
Camila celebrating during her high school graduation.
Going up the ladder in SRLA has taught me a lot. As a runner, student, friend, and even daughter.
The main idea of senior year is the shift from high school to college, and the fall of 12th grade was insanely stressful for me. However, all of the skills I learned throughout my years of SRLA helped me survive through it.
The skills I learned about pacing during the races, taught me to stay organized during the writing period. Self determination taught me that anything was possible. Team efforts allowed me to understand that it is always easier when we have people next to our side to help us. That it is more than fine to ask for help.