Carlos Sanchez began running marathons way back in 2008. At that time, he thought running one shouldn't be humanly possible. Little did he know he'd be towing the start line of the Boston Marathon with his own granddaughter one day.

Mia Sanchez, the aforementioned granddaughter, has been running competitively for a while now, most recently at St. Edward's University in Austin. It had always been a dream to run a marathon with her grandfather, and in 2025, they did just that. On Carlos's 38th attempt and Mia's first, they simultaneously qualified for the 2026 Boston Marathon.

They already know this is going to be a moment they'll never forget. I'm so excited to share these two amazing people's stories with you guys. If you liked it, please subscribe, share, and give it a like or a comment wherever you get your podcasts.

A marathon build doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. And that is the story of Rafael Aguilar's journey to the Houston Marathon this past January.

He nearly got deported. He was broken up with by his girlfriend a week before race day. And through all of that adversity, he still pulled out a PR of 2:45:52 at the Houston Marathon in January.

Adversity isn't something Rafa is new too, though. In high school, he found himself thrusted into the starting goalie position on his soccer team. Even though it was his first time starting, he dedicated himself to becoming the best player on the team, and he did just that, earning MVP at the end of the season. And in 2023, when he decided to make a change in his life, he quit smoking, picked up running, struggled at times, and found his way to becoming a consistent sub-3 marathoner.

Adversity doesn't have to win if you just beat it with positivity and consistency. That is Rafa's story.

Brandy Hoffman had signed up for the Houston Marathon before. And every time, she found a reason not to start.

This year, she finally said yes, and toed the line as a first-time marathoner.

Brandy is a wellness coach with DLDNation, known for helping women do hard things and chase big goals. But this time, the work was personal. When the miles got heavy, she leaned on something unexpected: the voices of her family, sent through an app called Rally, reminding her why she started.

And at the finish line? A now-viral video from her daughter that perfectly captured what this race really meant.

This episode is about borrowed courage, finishing what you start, and the power of being supported when you need it most.

Follow Brandy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourresidentyapper?igsh=dWloNHV1eHhpZ2xw

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