These shoes come from my dad who ran in them in the 1992 NYC Marathon. My memories with them are of going to Central Park as a child on the weekends and watching him lace up before he set out to run the loops. I chose them because to me they represent the perseverance a person can have moving to a new country and finding new meaning in their lives. My dad learned about running and enjoyed it towards the end of his high school years in La Paz, Bolivia. Both of my parents moved to NYC from La Paz in the late 80s, shortly before I was born. Running for him was not an extra part of his life or even a hobby, it was a way of life.
Shortly after the 1992 NYC Marathon, he ran in the 1992 Boston Marathon upon being invited based on his time in the NYC Marathon. He wanted to qualify for the Olympics Marathon event, in the 1996 summer Olympics games in Atlanta, Georgia, representing Bolivia but got injured shortly before then in 1996, breaking his Achilles tendon. He runs still.
I joined my high school’s XC and track team because maybe I could learn and grow as a person, running like my dad did. Hours upon hours per day for years were spent training during the week and competing every weekend. He was very supportive coming to all the local races. I loved the cross-country meets most of all because they were out in nature. I remember how important it was for me to own a good pair of sneakers. To me they represent the unending determination someone can have and the stories that come with it.
 

– Alex

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant