After three back surgeries, Santiago Meza realized he needed to make a serious change to regain his life.
“One time, I went to my mother’s house to work on her attic, and I couldn’t bend over,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything — it was embarrassing. I knew I had to do something.”
Now, Meza said running has given him the freedom of his younger self.
“I’m 60 years old, but I feel 20 years younger,” he said. “I can think better, and I can work a lot. I stay up with my boys. They’re 30 years younger than me, and I can keep up with them.”
Santiago was among community members participating in the Earth Day 5k on April 26, the conclusion to a three-day event on NW Campus.
Kinesiology manager Sarah Matlock said it’s an event that benefits students beyond motivating them to exercise.
“It’s a great way for students to network with the people that work [at TCC],” she said. “And then having those community members come in, it makes it even better.”
Matlock says that by allowing non-students to participate in these events, it serves as a reminder that the college can serve more than its students.
“Bringing the community together is key,” she said. “It’s part of our role as TCC. That’s what we do. We serve the community, and it’s a great way to get students out with some of their instructors.”
Wrapped around Marine Creek Lake, Matlock said the race is a chance for participants to recognize and appreciate local nature.
“We’re out here to celebrate our planet and help promote its preservation and care while getting people active,” she said. “We tie all of these events together into one way to communicate the concerns we have about how our planet is treated and cared for.”
Meza’s son and former TCC student, Mark-Anthony Meza, ran alongside his father.
He said watching his father take control of his health was inspiring.
“He’s a hardworking Mexican, so they’ll hurt themselves sometimes, but he keeps trucking, and I look up to that. There’s no stopping him, and there’s a lot to learn from that,” he said.
Mark-Anthony Meza said he now works to keep up with his father.
“He’s 60, so he can’t be more active than me,” he said. “I try to beat him every now and then.”
Among the runners was Esther Goodwin, a community member who, despite a recent hip injury, was determined to hit the track and run till she hit the finish line.
“You’re testing yourself to see what you can do,” she said. “It makes you feel vibrant and young. It’s exciting, and your heart’s racing, and it makes you feel like you can do anything. And the oxygen you’re receiving from the trees and the water and the lake, it’s very relaxing.”
Josiah Parker, a student at NW studying to be a teacher, said dedicating time to completing the 5k alongside his peers was an act of discipline and self-love.
“If I’m not trying to be better myself, I can’t push other people to be better,” he said. “But I don’t give up on myself. And when I have other students here encouraging me while I’m running, it definitely brings some joy out of me and makes me want to get to the finish line faster.”
