Today we’d like to introduce you to Marta Portillo and Monica Aguilar. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Marta and Monica started their running journeys for different reasons. Monica started her journey as a way to prevent the development of Type 2 Diabetes. Latinos have a 50% chance of developing type 2 Diabetes, and she was pre-diabetic. Working in an office environment, sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day, does not help with maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle.
She decided that she would not be a statistic. She hired a trainer, started eating better, and then joined a running club in Chicago. Monica loved the idea of running with a group, who later became friends. She was always motivated by them, and they held her accountable. They encouraged her to sign up for her first Half Marathon in 2014 and then she completed her first Marathon in Chicago in 2015.
When moving to the Tampa area in 2016, she needed to continue her journey, but it was difficult as she worked remotely and did not know anyone in the area. How does one find, like-minded individuals in the area where you live? The gym, running groups, and in this day and age, social media. She joined a gym, found different running groups in the area, and joined several Facebook pages for running.
Her love of running and community has been a way to focus on her physical health and mental well-being. Being in the Tampa area offers so many great views, to run next to the water and over bridges. She still gets excited every time she is running and catches a dolphin or a manatee in the Gulf. That makes the experience much more special too!
Running can be hard, but when you find something you love and have people there to encourage you, it can be a very rewarding journey. Monica has always been an advocate for the Latino community whether it’s in higher education, mentoring, and now promoting running as a way to improve our health.
Marta began her running journey in New York to be active and stay healthy. She was running on her own and began joining races and organizations with friends and family. Each race supported a different cause and the involvement with the organizations intrigued her. She began volunteering at organizations and making connections. Her mother being a breast cancer survivor, joined a breast cancer support group with her mother.
Marta ran her first half marathon with the group. Out of that, the love for long-distance grew. Upon moving to Florida in 2014, she joined different workout and running groups. Out of these groups, she met people with various passions for working out and running. Many of whom she has built strong friendships, The comradery from these groups made her feel part of the groups. They introduced her to the racing world in FL and is still learning about all sorts of distances and types of races.
She runs 5ks, 10ks, 15ks, half, full marathons, and now trail running. She travels to different states for races and calls them her runcations! She loves running early in the morning and catching those sunrises. She feels running is an absolute need in her life mentally, physically, and emotionally. Balancing life between work and family, she assures she obtains that runner’s high.
Being surrounded by other runners and having those connections as she has with Monica makes the experience so much better for her. She strives to always continue learning and becoming a stronger runner. In 2019, Monica & Marta met on a Facebook women’s running group and they saw that they lived in the same area and decided to meet.
They then began running together, joining races, and quickly became great friends. Who else can text you at 6 am and say “Get up, let’s go for a run?”?! Monica was looking for ways to connect with the Latino Running Community and reached out to Maria Solis, founder of Latinos Run, asking if there was a chapter in Tampa. She figured since Florida had a large Latino presence that there should be, but there was not a chapter here.
Maria then asked Monica if she would be interested in becoming a lead ambassador for the Tampa Bay area and if she knew anyone else that would be interested. She knew she could count on Marta and asked if she would be interested in going on this journey together. Marta and Monica became lead ambassadors for the Latinos Run Tampa Bay Area Chapter and are trying to build a running community around health, wellness, and culture.
They both want to encourage, motivate and build a stronger Latino community that has been somewhat ignored in the world of running. We have weekly scheduled runs, we are creating teams for local races and we are working with other diverse running groups in the area to help build our community.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road because of a variety of reasons:
• There are so many well-established running groups in the Tampa Bay area already.
• The area is geographically large and consists of Tampa, St. Pete, and N. Pinellas County, which are 3 very different areas, making it difficult to try and meet on a weekly basis.
• Starting from the ground up as we are in a new chapter and still in the process of getting our name out there. People don’t realize we are here.
• Receiving sponsorships from organizations in order to co-host events, provide giveaways to our members, and provide funding so that ambassadors can become certified running coaches.
However, Monica and Marta are determined and dedicated to making the Tampa Chapter a successful chapter.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Latinos Run & Latinas Run are 2 national organizations that promote running as a way to improve the physical and mental health of the Latino community. Our runners have comprised of athletes of all levels who are passionate about running and focused on living a healthier life.
Latinos are projected to drive 62% of the total US population growth through 2025 and have become the most coveted consumer group in the nation. Our goal is to inspire more individuals of color to change the way the health & fitness industry looks. We celebrate diversity and aim to empower others to get inspired by the journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: Latinosrun.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latinosruntampa_/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/latinosruntampa
