Last week, one of our very own ELC students accomplished an impressive feat. Pablo Acuna Garcés from Chile, who studied in Los Angeles with his wife Gabriela, ran the Los Angeles Marathon! This 26.2 mile race began in the heart of downtown Los Angeles at the gate of our beloved Dodger’s Stadium, and finished steps away from the sandy shores of Santa Monica Beach.
Growing up, Pablo loved watching movies. The Hollywood Industry and the amazing weather in Los Angeles piqued Pablo’s interest in Los Angeles, so he wanted to visit for himself and see what it was like to live in the city. Training for the marathon, Pablo ran all over and became acquainted with the different neighborhoods in LA. He especially enjoyed running along San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood, and would someday like to live there.
The LA marathon was Pablo’s very first marathon — but it will not be his last! Being in a new country for the first time inspired Pablo to step out of his element and try something new. “I am not in my country, so I have to do something daring. Also, this is going to be my first of many marathons in the future. I would like to run marathons around the world- Japan, Chile, Argentina…” What an awesome way to explore the world!
Pablo enjoyed Los Angeles and his time studying at ELC. His favorite class moment was in Terri’s class when they discussed Sia’s music video for “Chandelier.” After discussing the music video, he became interested in Sia’s music. Terri enjoyed having Pablo in her class, too. “He always had a smile on his face and was eager to speak.”
Training for the marathon was hard work. Pablo ran one long distance run, which was at least 12 miles long, and also ran 4-5 smaller runs at 5-8 miles each. He made sure to rest at least once a week. Pablo recommends that any runner track their workouts on their phones so that they can improve.
We will miss having this superstar at our school and are happy to have had him in Los Angeles!
