BTSLA goes Spartan

Posted: February 6, 2013

February 5, 2013 | Kicking off the new year with camaraderie through competition!  – by Brian Guerrero, Board Member & Creative Director. 
Our nonprofit organization believes that we can foster and encourage positive attributes to enhance young men and women’s lives in school, sports and the community.  One of the pillars which we look to build upon is perseverance and an effective way to illustrate a point is to lead by example.  As such, our family here at Beat the Streets LA decided to self-impose a challenge; Assemble a team of representatives to compete together in a new physical endeavor that enabled fundraising for our organization.  Enter Obstacle Course Racing.
With no experience in the budding alternative sport, we recruited our Program Coordinator Marcie Van Dusen and key BTSLA contributor Tyler Baier, a director at Bright Star Charter Schools, to join me for the SoCal Super Spartan Race in Temecula, California on January 26. A wild, muddy, mountainous race where we would run, jump, climb, crawl and swim through an 8.5 mile course.  Never wanting to shy away from a hearty challenge with a bigger purpose we signed up in November with plenty of lead time to prepare and recruit additional adventurists.  By the time we reached the starting line the Beat the Streets LA Race Team numbered eleven.
Our ardent Team Members, supporters of our organization, helped us raise enough money during this short period of time to fund an additional Program Coach position for a full season this year.
Leading the way for our team on the course, Tyler Baier, a past NCAA Division I Finalist and All American, finished in 15th place in the Open Division with a time of 1:52:59 (Hour:Minute:Seconds).  Managing to stay within close range of Tyler, I finished in 18th place with a time of 1:54:44.  Following quickly behind was Marcie Van Dusen, our 2008 Olympian, in 39th place with a time of 2:01:26. Fellow Spartan Race Team Members and supporters of our organization were Marcos SantaAna and Corey Hamabata with solid times of 2:10:17 and 2:11:23, respectively.  Hamabata is also a former wrestler and a Cornell University alumni.  Finishing 13 minutes later was David Park, who traveled all the way from New Jersey to join us for the race.  Rounding out our team were five additional Members who worked together and finished as a group between 3:36:33 and 3:37:09.  Those fellow Spartans included Alexandra Echeverry, Will Carrillo, Alex Santana, Michael Carrington and Kristy Carrington.
We are so thankful for our avid Teammates who raced on behalf of Beat the Streets LA and the generosity of those who donated to support our ultimate mission of youth development, the goal which this organization was founded upon.