For Tuesdays with Toyota, we are spotlighting some of USATF's most dedicated members with a short feature on USATF.org and our social media channels. Here is our first feature with 42-year-old masters athlete Joel Almonte, a member of the USATF New York Association from Brooklyn, New York. “My running journey began in 2007. At the time, I was 27 years old and weighed 425lbs. After two years of better dietary habits, I was healthy enough to begin jogging moderately. Running was the most efficient exercise I could think of and despite some of the bumps one encounters when you start running, I believed because of the convenience of stepping outside to get my work in that it offered little opportunity for an excuse not to begin. Come 2014, I was healthy and trained enough to run my first marathon. By this point the road running community was something I surrounded myself with. My most memorable marathon is the Miami Marathon in 2018. You never forget the first time you crossed the finish line but this was the first time I ran a marathon out of state and it sparked my next goal of successfully running a marathon in all 50 U.S. States. In 2019, I ran my 14th marathon and have run one in nine different states so far. This year, I stumbled across USATF and the Masters level competition. So I became a USATF member, successfully passed my Level 1 Coaching Certification and have recently registered my running club, UNFRGVN Fitness and Track Club, with USATF. A group of 5 friends decided to enter obstacle course races and the 5 boro racing circuit in NYC back in 2011. We entered a few Tough Mudders and Spartans before we decided to stick to road running. We knew each other from our Brooklyn neighborhood and the club was originally named Redds Running Crew before reading the Rudyard Kipling poem, If, and the line referencing running and the unforgiving minute. In 2014, two of us successfully entered and finished the NYC Marathon. Through the years, and a few state marathons later, the team is now mostly composed of some of the avid marathoners I've met along my running journey. In October, we proudly registered the UNFRGVN Marathon Team as a USATF member club. In these last 20 years I've lost and kept off over 250lbs, all thanks to the sport of running. I'm looking forward to these next 20 years now that I can set my roots in with USATF and have the sport of running with me forever. I wish others my age knew more about USATF and their Masters competitions. I believe it would go a long way with them living healthier lifestyles. I'm unspeakably thankful for what's to come. To entertain the thought of having a real amateur running career with the opportunities offered by USATF is just something I've been so elated in simply thinking about. I've begun working on a training plan to aim for some of the events that are hopefully forthcoming in 2021. I'm thankful for the teammates I have and the sense of family this opportunity has given us. Running is very therapeutic for me. Sure it provides a great overall workout but the stress relief it brings has been priceless. In challenging times I always remember this quote: “If you can fill the unforgiving minute, With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it." - Rudyard Kipling Running and being a part of the USATF community has been monumental in transforming my life to what it is now. Because of running, I can say I went from a 400+ pound person to Level 1 coach and captain of a USATF club team. My team and I are very excited to be part of the wonderful future that is ahead for USATF.” Be our next Member Spotlight! Share your USATF journey here for a chance to receive a complimentary annual VIP adult membership courtesy of @teamtoyota! Check back the second Tuesday of each month for a new Member Spotlight for Tuesdays with Toyota.