Meet Brian—Running Coach, Youth Leader (Story 18/40)
"Running has always been important to me, but what I came to realize after coaching for City Heights Runners is that running is more than just about getting faster, it’s about becoming a more resilient and strong person.”
This is Brian, the 18th of our 40 stories to honor 40 community members in celebration of our 40th anniversary! (see all the stories here). Brian is a Crawford Highschool graduate and a big runner and athlete, and he recently began coaching students with City Heights Runners.
“Coaching is special to me because of the connections and friends I’ve made and the traditions I’ve kept—the tradition of not giving up when times get rough. When I run and when I race, not only do I represent myself, but I represent my family, my school, and where I come from.
I believe that the diversity in our school and the many cultures that we have, they’re something that represents San Diego as a whole. Crawford students coming from a lot of different backgrounds being able to have opportunities in academics and athletics, some even learning English for the first time is something that is really special about our school, and I’m grateful to be part of that."
A big shout out to our intern, Des Reyes, for interviewing Brian! Do you know any passionate City Heights community members or allies? Please put us in touch, we’d love to share their perspective or story of what makes this community special to them!