Today we’d like to introduce you to Eileen Rivera.
Hi Eileen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Back in 2012, I decided to join a morning walking group with a few ladies. The idea behind this walking group was to start exercising. My children were getting older and I had more time for myself. Walking felt wonderfully. The early morning conversations were amazing. We would talk about our children, food, neighbors, family issues, clothing. work, daily stressors, and of course, our husbands. Since I had done a little bit of running in high school, I slowly turned my walks into “running”. I wanted to challenge myself and started running a little bit more. I “graduated” to an official running group also taking place in the early morning hours. I loved getting up early at 4:30 or 5:00 am to go run and for the next 3 years, I met with my running buddies at least three or four times a week. Many of these running buddies became dear friends. I signed up for a few 5k races and a few half marathons. But for most runners, the goal is to be able to complete that coveted full marathon. I signed up for one marathon and the continuous training caused me to get injured. I was not able to run that marathon and I was devastated. I was determined. I started preparing and training better, eating healthier, and being patient with the process. Finally in 2015, I earned a free entry (I will forever be grateful to Natalie’s Orange Juice for the gift to enter the marathon and proudly represented them) into the Celebration Full Marathon. With the encouragement of my dear running group and the support from my family, I was able to run the marathon, beat the goal time I had set for myself, and come out stronger than ever. I was now a full marathoner. I would continue to exercise here and there, go to the gym, ride my bike but lost the motivation to continue running. Then in 2020, the death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia affected me tremendously. How could someone go out for a run to be killed mercilessly? Later the pandemic hit. I was working from home and decided to hit the trails again. I needed running. I started doing trail running because with aging joints, the pavement feels differently. The time spent running the trails here in Central Florida was wonderful. I love being outdoors, listening to the birds, feeling the breeze while running. It is a magical connection, mind, and body at peace. Plus being at home all day long was starting to drive me nuts! I found Megan, a wonderful young lady from a local running group for women who agreed to start running with me to get me back in shape. I will always be grateful to her.
Two years later, I am still running and loving it. I have always wanted to find a group of Latinas who shared my love for running. I started “googling” with hopes of finding a local group, but I had no luck. I could not believe that, with the number of Latinas in our Central Florida, I could not locate a single running posse of Latinas or Latinos. That is when I found Latinas Run but realized their chapters were in other cities. I joined Maria Solis, the Latinas Run founder at a local 5K to meet her and get information about the group. I promptly realized that there was so much potential for growing and developing a Central Florida Chapter. The idea and joy of being able to talk Spanish, English, or “Spanglish” with a group of running friends who shared our culture seemed like a match made in heaven! A thousand ideas crossed my mind while I search and try to figure out how to promote this branch of Latinas Run in Orlando. I would try to grow the group, encourage other Latinas to join me on walks or runs, and ultimately motivate the younger generation of girls in our communities. I am fully aware of the obesity rates among underrepresented communities. I am fully aware of the need for role models, mentors, guidance, education when it comes to health and fitness in our Latino community. I am fully aware of the struggle of some to be able to afford a race fee, get encouragement at home, afford a good pair of running shoes, let alone hire a coach to learn how to properly run. If I can make a difference in someone’s life because I inspired them to move, to walk, to run, to set a goal, and accomplish it, I would be the happiest person on earth. I started creating events within our Latinas Run of Central Florida Facebook page to meet at least once a month. My mind goes a million miles an hour thinking of all the things I want this group to accomplish. Stay tuned! There is so much to come!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our Central Florida area is very vast. We are all spread out through Orlando. At first, I tried finding trails in different areas to find out where I would get the most participation. I quickly realized there isn’t a single, particular location convenient to the majority of the group. Our Latino community is all over our Central Florida area. We have a huge population in the Kissimmee area as well as East Orlando. Seminole County’s Hispanic population has grown tremendously in the past few years but the vast majority is still in Orlando and Kissimmee. In addition to finding a perfect location I struggled with dates and times convenient to all. I love running early in the morning, anytime between 4:30 to 6:00 am. If you are starting in this running journey, those early morning time slots are not too appealing. Understandably so. I tried Saturdays and then Sundays. I have recently decided to pick one central location to see if that works out better.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have been working in the insurance industry for the past 30 years. I have enjoyed a successful career, but this type of job is very sedentary. You are literally sitting for most of your day in front of a computer. Therefore, the need for some type of physical activity is a must for a healthy lifestyle. I enjoy teaching and helping others. I feel good about recognizing the value that each generation brings to a business setting. I don’t focus on who does it better but on how we can all learn from each other. At a former employer, I had the opportunity to organize a group to participate in a cycling event to benefit a charity organization in town. I hope I was able to inspire my coworkers to get out and enjoy cycling as a form of exercise, relaxation, and transportation. I wanted to remind them of how much fun they had when they rode their bikes as children and the opportunity to still do that every day. It was so much fun!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I love running. But I also enjoy reading a good book, traveling, watching a good show, and spending time with my wonderful family. To some, running may seem like a total waste of time. I think life is about creating a healthy balance, giving ourselves the opportunities to grow, to learn, to challenge ourselves and running provides that opportunity for me. Running requires discipline, dedication, and sacrifice. I want to encourage other women, especially my Latina sisters to set goals and work together to reach them, to find time for themselves, to become healthier, to give their daughters the inspiration they need to develop into strong, independent, fearless women. I want to use running as a means of teaching how to tackle a challenge or a problem by having a plan, working through a training program, using time wisely, and being supportive and respectful to each other. I will continue to focus on promoting our Latinas Run Central Florida group and hope that a year from now we have a wonderful group of healthy and strong runners in town representing our countries of origin and our culture.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: Latinas Run Central Florida
